Family Secrets
by cheeky-chaos
Summary: AU. Shannon Hope Carter has never been close to her mother. Especially since her mother works long hours in a highly-guarded military base that she can't talk about. So what happens when she finds out the truth about what her mother does and just who he
1. Shannon

Author's note: This is an AU story that takes place about 20 years from the current date. The united countries know about the stargate program, but it is still a secret from the general population. The Goa'uld are now few in number, and are not the force they once were. Replicators are still a threat as well.

In other notes, Daniel never ascended, Janet never died and Teal'c now lives amongst the general population when not on a mission, as he had his Goa'uld mark removed. Colonel Jack O'Neill died about 13 years ago, offworld. As a result, the details of his death are highly classified.

I hope you like it!

Cheeky.

**Family Secrets:**

**Chapter One:**

"Hey Dad." I whispered as I lay on my bed, and gazed at the familiar brown eyes of my father. He stared at me out of the photograph as he always did, not quite frowning towards the camera as if he didn't want his picture taken.

"You should be proud of me." I said. "I'm graduating today."

I gave him a sad smile and gently touched the photo, as if, despite the laws of physics, I could touch the man himself. But my father was dead. He had died when I was seven, but I still remembered the stories he used to tell me. Sometimes I miss him so much, no matter how many years have passed.

I blinked as I put the creased and battered photo away in my diary and locked it again. It was the only photo I had of him, and all the more precious because of it. You see, I wasn't supposed to know who why my father was. It makes me angry that no one thought that I should know. For years, I knew him as 'Uncle' Jack, or sometimes as the Colonel.

His name was Colonel Jack O'Neill and he was a member of the United States Air Force. He worked on some project he could never talk about, just like my mother. Except she always used to tell me it was 'deep space radar telemetry'. I still don't believe that's the truth, but I know that it wasn't my mothers fault she had to lie.

I still remember the last time I saw my father, as if it were yesterday. He had come over to our house, along with 'Uncle' Danny, 'Uncle' Murray and 'Aunt' Janet. Cassie was there too. We'd always get together all the time, so I didn't think there was anything strange about them all being there. My mother had sent me to bed, which I didn't like all that much, because I loved it when they all came over.

I was lying in bed, trying to think of a reason to go back downstairs and see everyone again, when Jack knocked softly on my door.

"_Hey, kiddo." Jack said, moving into the room. "Mind if I sit down?"_

"_Sure, Uncle Jack." I said, delighted to see him. I didn't want to sleep._

_I scooted up on the bed to sit next to him. I grinned up at him and he grinned in return. "We have to be quiet, munchkin." He whispered. "If your mother caught me in here she'd skin me alive."_

_I giggled softly at the picture he created, just as I wrinkled my nose. "She's just a spoil sport." I whispered back._

_Jack looked at me sadly for a minute. "I have something for you, but you have to keep it a secret." He said seriously. "No matter what you can't show anyone. Promise?"_

"_I promise." I said eagerly, wanting my present and hoping it was chocolate. Mom never let me have chocolate after bedtime._

"_You can't show anyone, not even your mother, kiddo. You got that?"_

_I caught Jack's serious tone. "Okay, Uncle Jack. I promise I won't show mom. Cross my heart."_

_Jack reached up and took off something he had hanging around his neck. He handed them to me. I clutched them to me chest, the metal still warm. "Do you what they are?" Jack asked._

"_Your…" I said, frowning as I tried to remember what mom had once called them. "…dogtags."_

_I grinned as I remember. "I always thought that was funny, coz the don't belong to dogs…" I trailed off as Jack motioned for me to be quiet._

"_Your right as always, smarty." He said. "They have my on them, see?"_

_I could see. I gazed in amazement at the tiny writing on the metal squares. Then I looked back up at Jack. "How come you're giving them to me?" I asked._

"_Because I want you to have them." He said. "To keep them safe, until I get back. Can you do that for me?"_

"_Sure, Uncle Jack." I agreed._

_We sat in silence for a moment, and I looked at the tags in my hands again. This was so cool! It's a pity I couldn't show anyone though, because the boys at school would flip to see these!_

"_I have another secret I need you to keep, kiddo." Jack said quietly to me. "Something that you can never tell anyone I told you. This is even more important that my tags, okay?"_

_I looked solemnly up at Jack. "I promise that I will never tell anyone, ever." I said. "Cross my heart and hope to die."_

_Jack smiled softly at me. "Thanks, munchkin." I watched him take a deep breath. "Do you know who your father is, kiddo?"_

_I shook my head. "No." I said. "My mom just says its someone she loves very much, but he can't be with us."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Mom says he has something important he needs to do first. But that he'd love me too if he was here."_

"_Oh, he does. He loves you so much." Jack whispered._

"_Really? You know my Daddy?" I asked delightedly. If he knew my daddy, maybe he could tell him that I loved him too…_

"_Can you tell my daddy that I love him too? And that I wish he was here?" I asked Jack. "Just so he knows."_

_I looked at Jack in surprise when I saw a tear trail down his cheek. "Don't cry, Uncle Jack." I said, giving him a hug. "Please don't cry."_

_He hugged me right back, before leaning down and whispering in my ear. "I'm sorry I never told you, kiddo. I'm your daddy."_

_I gasped in surprise and pulled away from him, angry that he had never told me. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" I demanded._

"_I couldn't sweetheart." Jack said. "Please believe me. I wanted to so much."_

"_Didn't you love me?" I asked as I began to cry._

"_Oh, no, sweetheart." Jack said gathering me close. "I want you. I love you so much. Just like I love your mother. But she's right. There's something important I need to do."_

_I hugged my father close, feeling safe in his strong arms. "You're really my daddy?" I whispered._

"_Yes, I am." He agreed._

"_I love you, daddy." I told him._

"_I love you to, sweetheart." Jack replied._

I blinked away tears at the memory. I was grateful that he had told me, and that I knew he loved me. Because he never did come back. I still had his dogtags, too. I wore them every time I needed luck. They were my good luck charm. And I never had told anyone I had them.

I smiled as I slipped them over my head. I didn't so much need luck today, but it felt good to have something of my father with me today. Especially since I was graduating from university.

Suddenly the door burst open, and my two room mates burst into the little flat we shared just off the campus of the University of Chicago. "Shannon Hope Carter." Jessie yelled. "Get your butt out here!"

I smiled and walked out of my bedroom into the lounge, where my roommates were waiting. "Hey Jessie." I greeted. "Hey Alec."

"Hey, girl." Alec greeted, grinning as Jessie bounded over and gave me an enthusiastic hug. "So, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" I asked.

Jessie looked at me as if I was completely insane. "I don't know." She said. "Maybe graduating with a PhD in Astrophysics before your 21st birthday?"

"Oh." I said. "That."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Come on! We have to celebrate!"

I laughed. "I'm still recovering from our celebrating last night." I said, remember the many empty bottles of alcohol from the previous night.

"Me too." Alec agreed, slinging his arm around my shoulders. "Which is why I vote for ice-cream this time."

I grinned back at him. "Now you're talking." I said.

"Just as well I've got some, then isn't it?" Jessie grinned.

Laughing, she shook her red hair out of her face and went to the kitchen for some spoons. Digging out the ice-cream, Alec and I sat on the couch and waited. "What flavours did you get?" I asked him.

He grinned at me, his blue eyes sparkling. "Three guesses." He said.

"Hmm." I looked at him and considered. "Easy: coffee, chocolate and pecan." I said, stating all our favourite flavours.

"You got it." He told me, laughing.

"And if anyone touches that pecan, they will die hideously." Jessie called as she walked out of the kitchen.

I laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."

The next few minutes were filled with silence, as we each grabbed a spoon and dug into the ice-cream. I moaned in bliss as I the coffee flavour slid over my tongue. I _love_ coffee ice-cream – almost more than I love coffee. But not quite.

"So," Jessie began after a moment. "I your mom coming down?"

"Yeah." I said. "So my grandfather."

"And how do you feel about that?" Alec asked softly.

He, just like Jessie, knew that I hadn't been getting on well with my mother recently. She still refused to tell me who my father was, and we'd had a big argument about it. She didn't know that I already knew. But one day, I hoped she'd just tell me.

We'd never been that close, either. My mom had always been there for me, but as I grew up she had spent days away from me, doing whatever she did. I'd missed her, and I knew she was keeping secrets from me. Despite trying to understand that, I still resented it. I just wished she'd tell me.

"I guess I'm okay." I said. "I mean, despite everything she is my mother."

Alec nodded, before eating another large spoon of chocolate ice-cream. Then he looked at me consideringly. "Trade?" he asked.

I laughed and offered him some coffee ice-cream, while I grabbed a big spoon of his chocolate. Jessie just watched us with narrowed eyes. "Don't even think about trying that with me." She said.

Alec and I just laughed. "We wouldn't dream of it." I said, as Alec winked at me.

The actual graduation ceremony passed as a rather large blur. Although it was a great feeling to now be able to call myself Dr. Carter. I had to keep saying that out loud, in hope I would actually start to believe it. This had been my dream for as long as I could remember, and it was awesome to have finally achieved it. And scary.

I finally caught up with my mom and grandfather when they came to pick me up and take me out to dinner. "Mom." I greeted with a hug, glad to see her despite our argument. "Grandpa."

"Honey." My mother greeted. "You look great."

"Thanks." I blushed slightly at her compliment.

I was pleased, since it had taken my _hours_ to find the dress. It looked rather simple, but the elegant lines made my look as tall and graceful as my mother. "It seems is my lucky night." My grandfather said. "I get to escort two of the most beautiful women I know to dinner."

I grinned. "So where are we going?" I asked.

"A little Italian place I'm fond of." Jacob Carter said, an arm around the waist of both me and my mother.

"Sounds great." I said.

The Italian restaurant was just as good as my grandfather had said it would be. And for once, both my mother and I were getting on well. We hadn't talked this well in years. It was almost as if she was making an effort to put me in a good mood.

I found out the reason after dinner. "Shannon," she began. "Now that you have your PhD in astrophysics, you'll be looking for a job."

"Yeah." I agreed. "I was looking at joining a research team. There's this one that's looking into the nature of black holes…"

"I want you do want you to do me a favour, honey." She began. "Before you look at any other projects."

Warily, I looked at her. "What do want me to do?"

"I want you to come back to Colorado Springs with me. There's something I want to show you."

"It's important, Shannon." My grandfather added. "I really think you should see it before you decide to do anything else."

"Okay." I agreed cautiously. "I guess I could take a few days to visit."

"Thank you, honey." My mother said.

I nodded, already thinking. What did my mother want to show me? And did it have anything to do with my father and all those secrets she had kept from me over the years?


	2. The Base under the Mountain

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long guys, but I didn't really know what to do for the next chapter, since I got the idea for the first one after too much coffee. Hopefully this one doesn't sound too far fetched or anything. Oh, and General Hammond retired a few years ago, and the SGC is now run by a General Peterson.

Cheeky.

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

I sighed as I stood in front of the mirror. I ran a hand through my shoulder length blonde hair and was reminded about how much I looked like my mother. Except I had my father's brown eyes. I smiled faintly at that. At least there was something about my father that I had. Something no one could ever take from me.

The plane flight to Colorado Springs had been uneventful. I had managed to rent a car from the small airport and drive to my mother's house. As I had half expected, she hadn't been there when I arrived. A note had told me she had gone to work early, and to meet her there at 2pm that afternoon.

So here I was, at 1:15pm, staring at myself in the mirror of my old bedroom in my mother's empty house. Not exactly the welcome I had been expecting. But I suppose it was fitting. I had never quite fit into my mother's world, not really. So I couldn't expect a place for me here.

I sighed again and stared at my choice of outfit. I wore a simple pair of blue jeans that fit me rather snugly (it seemed I had gained a few pounds recently) and a simple white singlet top under my battered leather jacket. It was what Jessie called "dressy-casual" and I hoped it would do for whatever my mother planned.

Noticing the time was close to 1:30pm, I finished touching up my makeup and left the house. I would be late if I wasn't careful. I slipped on my sunglasses as I walked out into the bright afternoon sunshine and tried to quiet the nervous feeling in my stomach.

The drive to the base passed rather quickly and it didn't take long until I was confronted by the sight of the imposing military base. I pulled up in front of the gate as my mother had told me to do, and waited until one of the uniformed soldiers headed over.

I wound down my window as he peered in. "Can I help you, miss?" he asked, polite but still imposing, like the mountain behind him.

"My name is Dr. Shannon Carter." I told him. "I believe I'm expected?"

"If you wait one moment, I'll go and check." The soldier replied.

I nodded, wondering just what they did on this base. Surely not all military bases were this hard to get into?

A minute later the soldier came back. "Dr. Carter," he smiled this time. "May I please see some ID?"

I reached into my wallet and pulled out my driver's licence. "Will that do?" I asked.

"Thank you, Dr. Carter." The soldier replied. "Just follow the road until you get to the parking lot. Someone will be there to meet you."

"Thanks." I nodded, as the gates opened in front of me.

As I drove through them, I wondered once again just what it was I was getting myself into. It was something big…and I'm not sure I wanted to be involved, because I had a feeling it would make my life a whole lot more complicated than it was now.

Sighing, I parked the car and got out, slipping on my sunglasses to cut down on the glare. I looked around for the person who was supposed to meet me and noticed a man in a drab green uniform step out of a side door. _That must be him,_ I thought.

I watched him walk over to me. "Dr. Carter?" he asked.

I nodded. "That's me." I said.

The man was tall, with light brown hair. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses and he wore a black T-shirt under his green jacket. "My name is Captain Brian Singer. I'm here to escort you into the facility."

I smiled politely at him. "Thank you."

He nodded at me. "Right this way, ma'am."

I'll say this: while the uniform of the many Armed Forces tended to be very drab and unappealing, they did raise polite little soldiers and sailors. And despite my mother's (and grandfather's) involvement in the Air Force for so many years, I had no urge to join them or become like the good Captain. Too many rules tended to annoy me.

The Captain led me through the door he had come out from and down a few flights of stairs into the mountain itself. We passed a few offices and other personnel, before entering a larger room at the end of a corridor. "If you'll just wait here a moment, I'll tell the General and the Colonel that you are here." He said and left.

I raised an eyebrow in slight annoyance. Then I sighed. What the hell was going on? I hadn't seen much of this base yet, and that told me I probably wouldn't want to. But I couldn't deny I was curious. I may be dreading the answers to my questions, but I still wanted to ask them – and finally find out about what my mother has been up to for all these years.

Fifteen absolutely boring minutes later, my mother entered along with a tall, dark haired man in his late fifties. "Shannon." My mother greeted warmly. "This is General Mark Peterson. The leader of this facility."

"Nice to meet you." I said to the older man.

"Likewise." He replied.

He glanced at my mother before continuing. "Dr. Carter, I'd like to show you something, but to do so I require that you fill out some national security forms. Because what you learn here today cannot be taken off this base. Understood?"

"I understand." I agreed, a sinking feeling in my gut. What had I gotten myself into? I only wanted a normal life and to putter around trying to figure out black holes or something…

"And are you willing to sign the forms?"

I glanced at my mother and caught her hopeful expression. This was important to her. "Yes." I said. "I guess so."

Nodding, the General handed me a whole bunch of forms and a pen. Blankly, I looked at the number of them, before sitting down at the table. I read each form carefully, wanting some clue as to what I was getting myself into. And I was surprised at the depth of the forms. It seemed I couldn't tell anyone about this unless I got permission direct from the US President…and that made me real nervous.

But I signed the forms anyway. I was curious, and my mother wanted to show me something. I couldn't refuse that. And if the forms were that serious, she wouldn't have let me come, right?

"Done." I said finally, handing the pen and the forms back to the General. "So what the big secret I can't tell anyone?"

The General smiled at me. "I think the best place to start is by showing you. SG-3 should be arriving soon."

The last part of the sentence had been said more to my mother than me, as I plainly had no idea about who or what an SG-3 was. I couldn't help it, though. I was damn curious and I had no trouble following the General and my mom down a series of corridors and to an elevator. I noticed that the General used a security card in the elevator. Seemed I really was going to learn the truth.

* * *

I bit my bottom lip in an effort not to swear. But as I blinked my eyes in absolute shock, I couldn't help it. This could not be possible!

"Shocking, the first time you see it, isn't it?" my mother commented.

"Shocking?" I repeated. "You've just shown me a circular device capable of forming a wormhole, that by the current laws of physics, shouldn't actually exist. So, yeah, it's a little shocking. Not to mention that said device was made by aliens."

As the blue event horizon flickered out, I stared at the four men who had just exited the wormhole. This appeared to be SG-3. I turned back to my mother. "Alright. I want the whole story. From the beginning."

"Of course." My mother said mildly, and somewhat amusedly, as she led the way up to the control room.

As we crossed the room to another, larger, room, I couldn't help but stare at the amount of computers in the small space. "As we crossed the room to another, larger, room, I couldn't help but stare at the amount of computers in the small space. "You've got quite a network controlling that thing." I said.

"The stargate." My mother corrected.

"How much memory space do you need for the program that runs it? Or do you have some other way of controlling when the wormhole appears? And where does it go? Is it true you can only travel in one direction through them? And then how to you get back?"

My mother held up a hand. "Hold it, Shan." She said. "You'll get your answers. I promise."

I nodded. "Mom…is this what you've been doing all these years?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I guess this explains why you worked late. I can't believe wormholes actually exist! And they can be controlled! This could potentially turn the laws of physics as we know them on their heads!"

"It can do more than that, sweetheart." My mother said.

"What do you mean, mom?" I asked. There was more?

At that moment, the General walked into the room. "Ready for the whole story?" he asked me.

"Way beyond ready." I said flatly.

"Good." The General replied, taking a seat.

I sat down next to him at the large table and began to fire my questions at him. "So, how long have you had this thing? 30 years? How did you find it? How does it work?"

The General looked up in something close to panic. "Wait a moment, Dr. Carter. You will find out your answers, I assure you."

I would have asked some more, because I was so impatient to get the answers. I finally understood why mom had wanted me to see this. Studying an actual wormhole was so much more exciting that studying distant black holes! But at that moment, two other men entered the room. Two men I had known since childhood. Daniel and Murray.

Oh, boy. This would be one hell of a story.

And it was. It took an hour for them all to tell me the basic story. From finding the 'gate in Egypt to the Goa'uld and beyond. The different planet, different people. Aliens. Aliens actually existed. And more than that, Murray actually was one! Or, should I say, Teal'c.

"This is going to take me a while to digest." I said finally, when they had finished.

"Well, how about I take you home then, Shan?" my mother asked soothingly. "You can come back tomorrow and ask all the questions you want."

"Sure." I nodded. "I think I'll need to."

Then I paused. There was something I needed to ask, though, before I left. Something I had waited almost 21 years. "There's just one question I have before I go." I said.

"Sure." Daniel said. "Anything."

"Indeed." Mu…Teal'c agreed.

"Why was I never told about my father?"


	3. The Truth About Jack

**Chapter Three:**

"Why were you never told about your father?" Daniel echoed, surprise etched on his face. "Well…"

General Peterson looked at my mother, who was looking annoyed and somewhat pale. Then the General looked straight at me. "I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you about him." He told me. "Because the details surrounding his death have been classified beyond your clearance – and by the President himself."

"So what can you tell me?" I asked.

"That's up to your mother." He replied.

My mother. It seemed everything boiled down to that – everything was up to my mother. So I turned to her and raised an eyebrow, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "Do I get the truth this time?" I asked bluntly.

"Excuse me." The General muttered. "I'll leave you to this."

I nodded absently, my eyes still focused on my mother. Teal'c and Daniel followed the General out, obviously wanting to give my mother and me some privacy. "So?" I asked again.

My mother shut her eyes and ran a hand over her face. "Your father's name was Colonel Jack O'Neill." She whispered softly. "And he was my CO."

I watched the pain and sadness wash over my mother's face – and saw the love that was clear in her eyes. It warmed my heart and softened the icy feeling of betrayal to know that she still loved him so much.

"And why couldn't you tell me?" I exploded, pained and angry. "Why did you let me believe he was just a friend?"

"I had to, sweetheart." My mother looked at me in anguish. "Please believe me."

"Why, mom?" I snapped. "Give me a reason why you couldn't tell me, and I might consider believing you. Damn it, you lied to me for 20 years!"

"I had to!"

"Mom!" I snapped, finally letting all the years of pain and anger out. I surged to me feet and began pacing around the room, unable to keep still. "Do you know how it feels growing up surrounded by secrecy? Never even having a picture of your father? Or even a name, for God's sake? For once, could you just tell me the damn truth?!"

My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Shannon. I'm so sorry…really. I know you probably can't believe this, but I did it to protect you."

"Protect me?" I echoed, still furious. "From what? My father's love?"

Tears began to fall down my mother's face, and something that felt like pain stabbed through my heart. "From getting too attached to him." She barely whispered.

"Too attached to him?" Curiosity warred with anger at her words; the curiosity won. "What do you mean?"

My mother looked at me, silent tears still pouring down her face and memories clouding her eyes. "Before you were born…I knew he was going to die. We all did."

I came to sit down again. "Tell me." I said quietly. "As much as you can…just tell me, mom."

She nodded. "I can't tell you much. It's been classified to high, even for you." She looked up and her expression was faintly insulted. "I can't even talk about it to anyone who was there. Despite the fact we all lost a part of our hearts that day…and without you I fear I would have lost it all."

Touched by her words, despite the lies and distance between us. I reached out and gently put my hand over hers. She gave me a soft smile, before continuing. "I can tell you that we knew that he would die and there was nothing we could do to stop it. And believe me, I tried everything I could think of to save him. Of course, being Jack, he lasted for five more years than we thought he would."

"You don't mean he was killed by cancer of something, do you?" I mused. "It was some sort of alien technology, wasn't it?"

"Yes and no. It was…well, like a disease in a way. But your right, it was alien."

I nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything. The whole 'stargate' thing, followed by the vague details of my father's death. "So, how did I come to be?" I asked, trying to smile.

"I'd like to say we decided to hell with the regulations, or we found a way around them, but I can't." Mom said. "In reality, we got rather drunk and our control slipped for a night."

As if hearing what she had just said, my mother's head jerked up. "Damn," she said, running her hand through her hair. "That sounded cheap. It wasn't. We both loved each other – always had and I always will – but we didn't want to jeopardise what we did. It was too important. All the same, whether it was the alcohol or the news…I don't know. But, for a night our control slipped. And the result was you."

"We knew we couldn't continue any relationship." She continued. "As much as it hurt to admit. And believe me, it did hurt. But I wasn't going to give you up." She took a breath. "As for the rest…I didn't tell you, because I didn't want you have to go through all the pain of loosing your father."

"And you didn't think that not knowing him would hurt worse?" I asked softly, not really angry anymore. I was more numb.

My mother winced at my words. "No I didn't. But I should've." She looked up at me. "Oh, Shan. You don't know how many times I've wished that I told you and that you knew him…even if you were going to loose him. But when I thought of how much it would hurt me, and how a little part would die when it happened…I just didn't want that for you."

"And Jack agreed to this?"

"Yes…but I think he regretted that decision when he saw you." She whispered.

I stood up, suddenly needing to get out of here and think for a while. "I need to think about all this. I can't decide anything just yet." I glanced over my shoulder as I paused at the door. "One day I'll ask you about him and how you met. But not yet. I couldn't face that right now."

I stepped forward, meaning to step through the door and walk out of the base. But something made me stop and turn back to my mother. Perhaps I regretted all the secrecy between us and wanted to clear the air while I could…I don't know.

"And you're right, he did regret it." I told my mother softly. "That day he knew he wasn't coming back, he told me. Since I was about eight years old I knew he was my father."

I paused and took the dogtags from around my neck. "He gave me these." I said, holding them up so the winked in the light, and crossed the floor to where my mother sat. "A part of my father that was always close to my heart. But maybe you need them now, more than I do."

I slipped out the room as my mother stared at the dogtags, tears pouring down her face. Part of my wanted to stay and curl up in her arms again, like I had done when I was a child. To hear all about my father and the man he had been. But I couldn't. The wound of the betrayal had been ripped open today and everything was too raw. I needed to wrap my head around everything before I could even think about my future.

I got into my car and drove aimlessly around, not really knowing anyplace to go. And I couldn't exactly spill my guts to anyone, now could I?

In the end, I went back home for a second, grabbing my and the photo it contained of my father. Then I just picked a road and drove for as long as I could stand. And when I couldn't anymore, I found a place to pull over and got out the car. I found myself standing on a hill looking over the small town of Colorado Springs. It looked so safe and happy sprawled out below me.

Everything I wasn't. I ran my hand over my face and took a seat on the bonnet of my car, staring at the photo in my hand. I was surprised when I felt tears begin to fall down my face…tears at the time I had wasted in talking to my father, the pain my mother had endure for years, the empty place in my life when my father should have been and tears for the death of my father. I could finally grieve for him, knowing now that there really was no chance of him coming back – no matter how hard I wished or prayed.

I finally dried my eyes as dusk began to fall, and leaned back against the windshield, completely exhausted from the day I had just had. As I watched the stars coming out and the skies grow dark, I began to process all the information that I had learnt at the base. And it wasn't as heard to accept as I had thought. I guess it might have had something to do with the stories Jack had liked to tell me. My dad…when I think about it, he was always there for me. I could tell him things I couldn't tell my mother, and I think he treasured that more than he let on.

I smiled softly as my eyes drifted shut and I began to doze…

* * *

"_Hey, kiddo." Jack said as he walked up behind me._

_I was perched on his roof, staring at the stars. I had just had an argument with my mother about my birthday party. I wanted to go to the swimming pool, but she was being so unfair and wouldn't let me._

"_Hey Jack." I said, scrubbing away my tears._

"_Looking at the stars?" he asked gently, even though I knew that he knew why I was up here._

"_Yeah." I answered. "I always like to imagine your stories are true and there are really other people up there, kinda looking down on us."_

_He smiled briefly at my words, and I wondered what amused him so. "Your mother's worried about you." He said._

_Mom had let me come over to Jack's tonight, because there was a barbecue and everyone was here. "I know." I replied._

_Wordlessly, Jack pulled me closer and I snuggled closer to his side, happy to lie there against him. When Jack hugged me, I felt like nothing in the world could ever hurt me. WE continued to stare up at the stars for a while._

"_You know, kiddo." Jack finally said. "Sometimes life is hard and we don't get what we want. It seems hard at the time, but sometimes you just have to accept it. Sometimes there are battles you can't win."_

"_So, you don't think mom will let my have my party at the pool?" I asked._

_Jack laughed softly and I felt it vibrate in his chest. "No. Maybe next year."_

_I nodded. "Maybe. I'll just have to spend the year thinking of lots of really good reasons."_

_Jack looked at me then, a strange expression on his face. "Don't ever forget that, kiddo. Half the battle of wanting something is knowing how to fight for it." Then he looked back at the stars and I caught the sad look on his face. "And the other half it is learning how to let it go." He whispered.

* * *

_

I jerked up into a sitting position, chilled to the bone. I glanced at my watch and realised I had been asleep for a couple of hours. I was freezing! I jumped back into the car and drove home, all the while my dream playing back through my head. I recognised it as a memory…I had been about seven and it was only a few months later that my father had died.

Looking back on it, I could see the double meaning behind the words and the pain behind the words. Especially his last words: _Half the battle of wanting something is knowing how to fight for it…and the other half is learning how to let it go_. I realised that, during those last months, my father had tried to let go of all the dreams he might have once had of a family with my mother. And I grieved for it.

I let myself into my mother's house and crept up to my room. She wasn't up, so I wasn't sure whether she was still at the base or had already gone to bed. And I didn't have the heart to check. So, instead, I went straight into my bedroom and fell exhausted into bed. But I felt strangely at peace; I had begun to accept why my parents hadn't told me the truth…and decided what I was going to do about my future.

* * *

I groaned slightly as my alarm went off beside me. It was way too early to be getting up. I had never been a morning person, and saw no reason to start now. Then I remembered the reason I had wanted to get up this early.

Rolling out of bed in a mass of sheets and blankets, I stumbled to the kitchen, glad to see my mother was there and she still hadn't left for work yet. "Hi, Shannon." She said softly at my appearance.

"Hi." I mumbled. "Coffee."

Smiling slightly, she handed my a cup. "Thanks." I grunted.

I sipped the hot, bitter liquid and felt myself begin to wake up. Then I turned to her. "I did a lot of thinking last night." I began. "And I came to some conclusions."

My mother nodded. "I thought you would."

"Number one: I understand why you felt you couldn't tell me who my father was. I don't like it or appreciated it, but I understand." I said. "Number two: One day I will find out what happened to my father in exact detail – even if I have to become President to find out. Number three: I want to work at the SGC."

"Thank you for understanding." My mother said quietly. "And for what it's worth, I will always regret that decision."

I nodded and took another sip of coffee. "Now go and get dressed." She continued. "You can't turn up for work in your pyjamas."

* * *

Author's Note: So, what do you think? I hope Sam didn't sound too out of character.

Cheeky.


	4. Settling In

**Chapter Four:**

For the next three months, I worked in one of the labs at the SGC, gradually adapting to the rhythms of the base – both with the occasional off-world activation and crisis and the routine of the military personnel. In that time I also had time to process the information behind the Stargate Programme and found it absolutely fascinating. I still got a thrill every time I read some more information about the gravitational cycles of an alien planet or behaviour of the wormholes within the gate system.

What can I say? I am an astrophysicist after all. I get excited about wormholes and stuff. It's what I do.

It was late one Monday morning that my mother came to see me. "Hey Shannon." She greeted me, startling me from the experimental data I was reading.

"Hi mom." I returned. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to talk to you actually." My mother said.

"What about?"

"How would you like to be a member of an SG team?"

"What!" I spluttered.

"The General thought we needed more scientists in the field and I recommended you." My mother explained.

"No way!" I said, still in shock.

"I take it, you're interested?" my mother asked, clearly amused.

"Of course!" I cried. "When do I start?"

"You report for a three week training course next Monday. 0800 hours."

"Thanks mom!" I said, giving her a quick hug.

Man, this was great! I was going to do just what my parents had devoted their lives to doing – protecting our world and the rest of the Tau'ri and exploring the Universe. I couldn't wait to start!

* * *

Monday morning hadn't come fast enough for me. I was slightly apprehensive to what I might find when I reported to the camp, but eager to learn whatever I could.

I arrived at the deserted buildings at the edge of the Colorado Springs Air Force base just before 0800. My few belongings I had been allowed to bring were packed in the old duffel at my feet.

"Good luck, sweetheart." My mother said as she dropped me off. It felt rather like my first day at school.

"Thanks mom." I said. "I'll see you in three weeks."

I turned and took a look around as she drove off. I noticed a group of people dressed in military fatigues over to my left, along with two civilians in plain clothes standing a little to the right. Thanks to years of hanging around my mother, I could tell they were civilians – and scientists to boot.

I decided they would be friendlier than the military-types and walked over to them. "Hi." I greeted warmly. "Are you here for the training camp, too?"

"Yeah." Answered the woman.

She was a tall brunette and she looked about six years older than me. The blonde man next to her looked about 30 and was slightly dishevelled.

"Great." I smiled. "I'm Shannon Carter."

"Hi." The woman said. "I'm Dr. Elizabeth Scott."

"And I'm Dr. Conner Malone." The man introduced himself.

"Nice to meet both of you." I said.

Conner smiled at me. "What field are you in, Shannon?" he asked curiously. "Elizabeth and I are both archaeologists."

"Astrophysics." I answered.

"Of course!" Elizabeth said. "Dr. Carter. I heard you joined the programme." She paused and looked at me curiously. "I don't suppose you're any relation to Colonel Carter, are you?"

"She's my mother." I replied.

Before anything else could be said, however, our attention was drawn to three men walking towards us. They stopped a little way off and the eldest of the three men spoke. "Good morning, people," he said. "My name is Major Blake. And beside me are Major Mackenzie and Captain Donaldson. We'll be your teachers for the next three weeks."

I nodded my head. All three men were seasoned personnel of the SGC and had been there for many years. It made sense for them to tech us what we would need to be safe up there.

"Air Force personnel," Major Blake continued. "Captain Donaldson will show you to your assigned quarters and explain your lesson plan."

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir's" from the group in fatigues and the peeled off to follow Captain Donaldson to one of the buildings.

Major Blake then turned to Elizabeth, Conner and me. He walked over to us, smiling. "Doctors," he greeted. "I'm glad to meet you. If you'll follow Major Mackenzie, he'll show you to your quarters and introduce you to the others."

"The others?" Conner asked.

"Yes." Mackenzie answered. "The physicist, Dr. Mallard and the chemist, Dr. King arrived two days ago."

We followed Major Mackenzie to another large building. "Dr. Carter and Dr. Scott, you'll be bunking in the room on the left. Dr. Malone, you'll be sharing the room on the right with Dr. Mallard and Dr. King." Mackenzie said. "There are times and places for your lessons posted in each of the rooms, along with mealtimes. The mess hall is directly opposite your front door."

"Thank you, Major." Elizabeth smiled.

"You're welcome." Mackenzie smiled back. "If you have any problems, don't hesitate to tell us."

"Will do, Major." I said, before turning towards the room where I'd be bunking.

It was a fairly simple room with two beds, one along each wall, and a simple chest of drawers between them. I dumped my duffel on one of the beds and walked over to the lesson plan tacked onto the wall. It seemed there was the standard sort of thing I expected: shooting practice, basic self-defence and talks about what exactly we'd find out there – including, I noticed, a lecture on cross-cultural diplomacy.

"Hello?" a voice called, as a head stuck itself around the door.

"Hi." I said.

"I thought I heard new voices." The man said, coming into the room. "My name's Dr. Jonathan Mallard."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shannon Carter." I replied. Then I shook my head slightly. "_Dr_. Shannon Carter. I always forget the doctor bit."

"Ah, a recent graduate." Mallard said knowingly. "Don't worry, you'll soon get used to it."

I smiled as I looked at the man in front of me. His hair was slightly dishevelled and intelligent green eyes gleamed behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. "Come on," he said. "I'll introduce you to Miles."

"Sure." I said and followed him out the room.

Elizabeth and Conner seemed to have already been introduced to Dr. King as they were all laughing uproariously as I walked up to them. "Hey, Miles, what's so funny?" Mallard called as he ambled over.

"I was just telling them about breakfast." Miles answered in a faint British accent.

"Oh, yeah." Mallard chuckled.

I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Elizabeth. "Oh, Miles." She said. "Let me introduce Dr. Shannon Carter. She's an astrophysicist."

"So you're the young prodigy." Miles said, looking at me with intent grey eyes.

"I'd hardly call myself a prodigy." I said.

"Pity." Miles replied. "I've always wanted to meet a prodigy."

I laughed. The next three weeks were going to be fun.

* * *

The next three weeks were indeed fun and as a result, they flew by. I learnt how to use and fire the Beretta I was expected to carry when off-world and learnt all sorts of interesting and intriguing information about the rest of the Universe. Basic self-defence hadn't been as bad as I had expected, though. It was probably due to the few kick-boxing classes Jessie had dragged me to in Chicago, during her 'athletic' phase.

But despite that, I was glad to be home and have the next three days off. I was to report to my new SG team on Monday, but until then I had a little time off. I snuggled deeper into the couch and watched the TV in front of me. The movie was one of my favourites and I thought it was the best way to pass a lazy afternoon alone. Especially since mom wasn't due back until Sunday evening.

I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I paused the movie and went to answer it. When I opened in the door, I got the shock of my life. Jessie and Alec stood on the doorstep, wide grins on their faces and suitcases at their feet.

"Hey, girl." Alec greeted.

"Guys!" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Jessie looked at me. "You mean your mom didn't tell you?" she asked. "She told us you'd finally got a few days off, so we decided to come down for the weekend!"

"No, she didn't mention it." I said, before standing aside. "Come in."

"I thought you'd never ask." Jessie said as she walked in, before thumping herself down on the couch.

I shook my head in amusement as Alec chuckled softly beside me. "Please make yourself at home." I said dryly.

"Oh, don't mind if I do." Jessie said with a grin.

I grinned back at her. "It's great to see you both. I can't believe how much I've missed you two."

"Everyone misses me when I'm not there." Jessie said with a flick of her hair.

"That's what she likes to think anyway." Alec added.

I laughed. "You guys want something to eat?" I called, walking towards the kitchen.

"What have you got?" Alec asked, following me.

"Pizza!" Jessie called from the couch.

"Not much." I answered Alec as I looked in the fridge. "Spaghetti?"

Alec shook his head. "Not really. Fancy eating out?"

"We could go to O'Malley's." I suggested. "They serve great steaks."

"Sounds good to me." Alec agreed. "Jessie?"

"They got pool tables?" she asked from the doorway.

"Of course!"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Since it was still rather early, O'Malley's was mostly empty when we got there. Which I was grateful for, having forgotten it was a favourite hangout of SGC personnel.

"So what can I get you guys?" the pretty waitress asked once we were seated.

"I'll have a well done steak with a baked potato and salad." I ordered.

Alec nodded. "Sounds good. I'll have the same."

"Me too." Jessie said. "Except make mine medium rare and I'll have fries instead of a potato, if you've got them."

"No problem." The waitress said. "Three steaks coming right up."

I took a sip of water as the waitress left and looked at my two friends. "So, what are you guys up to these days?" I asked.

"Well, I've still got two years til I complete my Masters, so I'm just looking for two new room mates at the moment." Jessie said.

"Two?" I echoed, turning to Alec.

"I haven't made any plans yet." Alec said. "But I've got a job interview next Friday for a job up in New York at the UN building."

"And he'll get it, coz he's a brilliant linguist." Jessie added.

"Wow. Congratulations." I said.

"Thanks." He replied. "Although it's just an interview."

I smiled at Alec. "All the same…"

"Thanks."

Alec was a few years older than me, and had graduated with a Masters in Linguists at the same time I had graduated with my PhD. He was the only other person I knew apart from Uncle Danny who could actually speak Latin…and understand Ancient Egyptian.

"So, I suppose you can't really tell me what you're really doing under that mountain, can you?" Jessie asked, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You don't really expect me to believe that someone as smart as you is really doing radar telemetry?" Jessie asked.

"It's a fascinating subject…"

Jessie snorted. "For a hobby, maybe."

I sighed. "Jessie…" I began.

She held up a hand before I could continue. "I know, I know." She said. "I just wanted to see if I could get anything out of ya."

"Sorry." I said.

"It's okay." She said. "Now, you'll never guess what Belle Newman's up to these days…"

The rest of the weekend past without mention of my current occupation, for which I was grateful. I hated lying to my friends and got a feeling of what it had been like for mom all these years. It wasn't a nice feeling.

All too soon, the time came for Alec and Jessie to leave. "Man, I don't wanna go." Jessie moaned, hugging me.

"I don't want you to go, either." I said, hugging her tighter.

We clung to each other for a second more, before letting each other go. We were standing in the small Colorado Springs airport, waiting for Alec and Jessie's plane.

"Write heaps, okay?" she said. "And call anytime you want to talk. Promise?"

"Promise." I agreed.

Just then, the boarding call came over the speakers. "That's us." Jessie said.

"Take care, Shannon." Alec said, giving me a hug too.

"You, too." I said. "And good luck with the interview."

"Thanks." Alec said, pulling back. "I'll miss you, Shan."

Alec kissed me on the cheek, before turning and walking over to where Jessie was waiting. I waved to them as they turned towards the check in. Then Alec turned around and three steps later he was standing in front of me again.

"Sorry." He whispered, before he kissed me full on the lips.

I was startled for a moment, but his lips were so warm and soft that I couldn't help but kiss him back. I felt something warm expand in my chest as I did. He leaned back after another moment and cupped my cheek. I blushed as he looked down on me. "Don't be sorry." I murmured.

Behind Alec, Jessie was grinning delightedly. She flashed me a thumbs up, just as the second boarding call came over the PA. "Alec." She called.

"Be careful, Shan." Alec told me and gave me another brief kiss. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll look forward to it." I replied.

I waved again, unable to keep the grin off my face. I grinned the whole way home, too.


	5. Going Offworld

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews and sorry I haven't been posting as regularly as I should. It's great to hear from you…thanks! Here's another chapter. I'm hoping the next one will be posted soon too, but it may take another couple of days.

Cheeky.

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

"So, what do you think?" Dr. Elizabeth Scott whispered in my ear as we looked at our new team members.

"About which one?" I whispered back.

Beth shot me a look. "The _cute_ one!" she hissed.

I laughed, then bit my lip when the two men turned towards us. They shared a look and went back to talking with Major Blake and Captain Donaldson. Major Mackenzie (from my training camp) was my new CO, as the leader of SG-9. Dr. Elizabeth Scott was tagging along as the resident archaeologist, with me as the other scientist member. Captain Frederick Morgan made up the fourth member of our team.

"Which one?" I asked again, since I thought both my team mates were rather cute…but I had to admit, if only to myself in my head, that Alec was cuter than both of them. Damn, I had it bad. Ever since that kiss at the airport…

Beth groaned in frustration. "What's with you today? You seem to be on the moon or something!"

I blushed at her words. "Nothing." I denied.

Elizabeth raised both her eyebrows. "Really?" she said, a slow smile curving her lips. "Do tell."

"I…" I began, not sure whether to just blurt it out or not. Then I caught sight of Major Mackenzie and Captain Morgan walking towards us. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

"You'd better!" Beth warned in a low voice.

"So, how are my two scientists this morning?" the Major asked as he got within earshot.

"Excited. Do we really have a mission?" I asked.

"Yep." The Major grinned at my obvious enthusiasm. "The briefing's in an hour."

I clapped my hands together and grinned. "Yes!" I said.

Behind the Major, the Captain laughed. "You don't even know where we're going yet." He said.

"I don't care." I replied. "I'm going to travel through a wormhole to another planet. It's so cool!"

Mackenzie and Morgan shared a glance, before the Major shook his head. "You'll loose that attitude after a few hours of looking at rocks." He said.

"Oh, I don't know." I replied with an impish grin. "I kinda like rocks."

Beth laughed. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?" she asked.

I grinned at her. "Nah." I said. "You like that alien technology stuff, remember. Rocks bore you to death."

Mackenzie and Morgan laughed at my teasing, knowing full well that as an archaeologist, Beth really did like looking at rocks. It was her profession, after all. Major Mackenzie shook his head. "Don't you two have some work to do?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" we both parroted, before snapping salutes at him.

And, with almost identical smiles of mischief, we turned and fled before he could retaliate.

* * *

"So, you never told me what was making you so dreamy this morning?" Beth said softly as we studied the alien ruins in front of us.

"We travel half way around the Universe, and are in the middle of decoding an ancient security system that could lead to untold treasure and fame, and you want to talk about my love life?" I asked her.

"Come on. I need a break." She said. "And who mentioned your love life?"

Damn. I walked into that one. I shot a glance at our other team mates and found them keeping watched a little distance away. "What about it?"

"Who's the mystery man who put that dreamy smile on your face?" Beth asked. "It wasn't there before the weekend!"

"He's just an old friend." I said, trying not to blush. "He came up with another friend of mine and stayed for the weekend."

"Oh." Beth said, with a wink. "I get it."

"It wasn't like that!" I said.

"Sure." Beth smirked.

"It was just a kiss!" I snapped and moved further down the wall, away from her and her smirking.

I ducked my head as Major Mackenzie ambled over, obviously having heard my last comment. Great, just what I needed. He seemed amused. "I see some serious gossiping is going on over here." He said. "Or do you just going around kissing everyone, Carter?" he teased.

I growled in annoyance, both at the teasing and at my blush. "No." I said, glaring at them.

"Ah, so it was someone special." Major Mackenzie mused. "What's his name?"

I gaped at him. Mac had a teasing glint in his eye and I swear he was just as much a gossip as Beth was. Wasn't he supposed to be telling me to hurry up or something?

"None of your business." I answered.

Beth, however, felt the need to enlighten him. The traitor. "He's an old friend apparently. Came up for the weekend."

"I see." Mac said, his tone the same as Beth's had been.

"Look, it wasn't like that!" I said, putting my hands on my hips and forgetting about the wall for a second.

"Well, how do we know if you won't tell us?" Beth asked pointedly.

I glared at her. "I did tell you. It was just a kiss." I snapped. "Or two…" I admitted softly.

Beth laughed delightedly. "What's he look like?"

Before I could answer and tell Beth to mind her own business, Morgan's annoyed voice echoed over to us. "If you guys are going to gossip, could you at least do it within earshot? Some of us have to keep watch over here!"

We all laughed, and Mac turned to leave. "This isn't over, Carter." He said. "I want to know all the details later."

"Yes, sir." I said dryly.

He just laughed. "So, how's the wall coming?" he asked.

"Well," Beth began. "So far all I know it that this structure was built by the Ancients. It depicts some sort of story, but I'm not quite sure of what yet. I'll translate as much as I can before we leave, but I think it might be best if we suggest the General send one of the archaeologist teams for a long term study."

"Good idea." Mac agreed. "What about you, Carter?"

I sighed, looking at him. "I wish I could give you some good news, but I haven't encountered technology like this before. Not even in the lab." I said. "It's a complex and intricate locking system that seems to need some sort of outside trigger to unlock it."

"In other words?" Mac asked.

"I don't think the key to the lock is out here." I clarified. "I think it needs to be brought with you."

"Well, keep working on it anyway." Mac said, before walking over to join Morgan again.

"Yes, sir." I called.

I turned back to the large doors that blocked the entrance to the structure. They looked and felt like some sort of metal, kind of like the alloy the stargate was made of. Definitely something built by the Ancients. The locking mechanism itself was built in the delicate and detail decorative pattern covering the doors. I hadn't figured out how it worked yet. Maybe if I had a few more days, but we'd been here two days already.

I sighed and focused my attention on what seemed to be the centre of the pattern. In the middle of the doors was a plain, flat piece of metal that seemed to be part of an arm that cut across the doors, kind of like a bar. There didn't seem to be any cracks or breaks in it, so I guessed it moved independently of the doors – especially since you wouldn't be able to open the doors unless you moved it.

I reached up a hand to the small plate and trailed over the cool metal. Strange, but it seemed exactly the right size for a hand…I stretched out my fingers until my palm lay flat against the metal. And suddenly the metal began to glow white. As I watched in terrified fascination, the white glow spread along the pattern covering the doors until the metal had a glowing white pattern covering it.

"What the hell…?" Mac said, jogging towards us. "Carter, what did you do?"

"I just touched it…" I trailed of as there was an echoing clank and I took a step back.

As we all watched in fascination, the plate where I had first put my hand began to rotate and the bar slid backwards. Then the doors quietly swung open revealing a pitch dark interior.

"Morgan!" Mac snapped, drawing his gun.

Morgan jogged over, also holding his gun in front of him. "Everyone, be careful." Mac ordered, before walking into the building.

"Yes, sir." Morgan answered, following him.

I walked into the pitch dark building after Mac and Morgan. As my gaze followed the torchlight sweeping the interior, I felt a tug from somewhere deep inside me. Frowning in puzzlement, I followed it and walked to the wall on the side of the door. I reached up and placed my hand on a similar metal plate to the door.

As I watched, it also began to glow slightly, the light spreading out in a familiar pattern away from the plate. Except this time, doors did not swing open. Instead the glow brightened until it illuminated the whole room.

"Damn it, Carter!" Mac snapped. "Don't touch anything else!"

"I can't help it." I said. "I just do without thinking about it."

Mac gave me a concerned look, as did Beth. "Does anyone else feel an unconscious urge to touch anything?" he asked.

Beth and Morgan shook their heads. "Alright. Carter, tell me if you feel like you need to touch anything else, okay?"

"Uh, Mac?" I said. "I'm feeling like I need to touch something."

My gaze flickered about the room, as if searching for something. The room was large and empty except for an ornate altar on a slightly raised platform at the opposite end of the room. It was towards the altar I began to walk.

It was a weird feeling, almost as if I wasn't responsible for my actions, but then I also was. Still, no matter how I tried I couldn't stop myself walking over to the altar. It was almost as if something in my mind was overwriting the commands my brain was giving my feet. Like some higher part of me knew this was something I had to do.

"Carter, stand still." Mac ordered.

"I can't."

I walked faster as he reached out to me, and climbed the steps to stand behind the altar facing my team mates in the room below. "Cater, come here!" Mac snapped.

"I can't!" I replied again, more desperately this time. "I can't stop myself doing this! And I don't want to either."

Mac must have heard some of my fear in my voice, because he jogged towards me, obviously of the mind to physically removing me from near the altar. I didn't like this feeling of being out of control of myself, and was grateful for it.

But before he could reach me, my hands stretched out of their own accord and I placed my palms flat against the cool stone of the altar. They were evenly spaced apart and pressed into the stone. I felt something surge inside me, and then everything went black.

* * *

_My eyes flickered open and I pushed myself up from the stone floor on which I lay. Smiling down on me was a beautiful woman, who glowed white. Her long blonde hair fell over the shoulder of her flowing white gown and her brown eyes smiled warmly down on me._

"_Where am I?" I asked._

"_In your mind." She said, her voice soft and musical. "Children of old hold untold power in their minds. I thought it was fitting."_

_I frowned at her. "Who exactly are you?"_

"_A teacher and a guide." The woman replied._

"_Do you have a name?" I asked dryly._

_She laughed at my words. It was a beautiful and haunting sound. "You sound just like your father." She said. "I am known as Oma Desala."_

_I blinked, the name sounding oddly familiar. Then something in my head clicked. "You're an Ancient!" I said._

_She just smiled. "You have the potential to do so much, young one. But then the unexpected usually accomplish great things."_

_I frowned at her confusing words. What was she talking about?_

"_Sleep, child." She said. "And remember this when it time for you to know."_

_I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, but the darkness came again and swallowed me. And slowly, I felt the dream begin to fade as if it had never happened._


	6. Recovery

Author's note: Sorry this took so long! And thanks to everyone for your reviews – I'm glad you like it!

Cheeky.

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

I groaned in pain as consciousness returned. My head felt as if it had been run over by a truck at least. Or maybe like a stargate fell on it. I couldn't decide. My head hurt too much.

"Welcome to the land of the living." Said a warm and familiar voice.

I opened my eyes, before blinking and narrowing them as the light sent stabs of pain through my head. I groaned again. "Oh, kill me now." I rasped in a dry voice.

Janet Fraiser chuckled at my words. "I guess it's pointless to ask how you feel, then?" she said.

I glanced at her familiar sight, her hazel eyes looking at my in compassion even as an amused smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. I tried to smile, but I doubt it looked anything like it was supposed to. "No." I moaned. "'Cause I really feel you should shoot me now."

Janet chuckled again. "I'm afraid I can't do that." She said. "But I can give you something to help you sleep."

"No, it's okay…" I began.

"…but you want to find out what's going on." Janet finished for me.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Well, I'll help as much as I can." Janet said. "But, first, I think there's a few people who want to see you."

She left for a moment and I shut my eyes. I must have dozed off for a moment, because when I opened my eyes again, the General, Major Mackenzie, mom and Janet were all standing around my bed. I blinked a few times. "Hi." I greeted.

As I stared at the familiar faces around me, I noticed the pain in my head didn't feel so bad and my throat was less dry. I wasn't sure if this was due to the nap or new drugs, but I damn well wasn't going to complain.

"Hello, sweetheart." My mother told me.

"It's nice to see you awake." The General added.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"About two days." Janet answered.

Two days. What the hell had happened to me to make me pass out for two days?

"What's the last thing you remember?" the General asked.

I frowned a little as I tried to drag the fuzzy memories out of my dully throbbing head. "I…I remember a large dark room." I said, my frown deepening in confusion. "And then it was light…"

I trailed off as the memories began to clear. "No," I said, shaking my head. "I turned on the lights. I triggered the alien device on the wall. It was just like the doors."

"Do you have any idea how you did that?" my mother asked. "Opened the doors and turned on the lights, I mean?"

"I'm not sure." I said, frowning again. "I barely touched it before some sort of instinct made me lay my palm flat against it. It just…well, seemed right somehow."

"Then what happened? After you turned on the lights?" The General prompted.

I turned my head slightly to look at him, before trying to sit up. Something told me that I shouldn't be lying down for this conversation. Instead of trying to stop me, as I had expected, Janet helped prop me up on my pillows so I was relatively close to sitting upright.

"I'm not entirely sure." I replied. "I remember it well enough. But, I don't know…it didn't quite feel like me."

"What do you mean?" mom asked.

"Well, I felt compelled to go to the altar and I couldn't stop myself." I said. "It was like some other part of my brain was controlling me. I was me, but I wasn't me at the same time."

I wasn't sure I could explain what I had felt in the alien temple. And for some reason I was absolutely sure it was a temple. I had felt the reverence in the air. And as for the confusion I had felt as I walked to the altar…some part of me hadn't wanted to stop. I had needed to do that.

"Goa'uld?" my mother asked, turning to Janet.

"There's no sign of any sign of any Goa'uld or their technology." Janet replied to my great relief. "As far as I can tell, she's perfectly healthy aside from a little exhaustion."

"Then what made me collapse?" I asked and couldn't help the tremor of fear that ran through me.

"I don't know." Janet said frankly. "You don't seem to be suffering any ill-effects from alien technology."

"So she'll be fine?" Major Mackenzie asked, speaking for the first time.

"In a week, yes." Janet said. "But she'll need a lot of rest between now and then."

"Our cue to leave." The General said with a smile. "I'd appreciate a report as soon as you can manage it." He added as he got up to leave.

"Yes, sir." I said.

My mother got up to follow him. "Get some sleep, sweetheart." She said and kissed my forehead.

I nodded tiredly. "I will." I told her.

As she left, I turned my gaze to Mac, who was still hovering by the bed. "Is everything okay?" I asked.

He cleared his throat as I heard Janet quietly retreat. "How do you feel?" he asked, nervously.

"Sore." I said. "But alive."

He nodded slowly, before sitting down beside my bed with a sigh. I saw the guilty look that passed over his face and reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. I knew where this was going. "It wasn't your fault, Mac." I said softly.

"Of course it was." He said, raising tortured eyes to mine. "I should have seen it and stopped you. Then this wouldn't have happened."

"You couldn't have known." I countered. "I wasn't really acting any different to normal."

I caught his look and sighed in exasperation. "Mac, _I_ didn't even know what I was going to do." I said, slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry, all the same." Mac said.

Before I could say anything else, Beth burst into the infirmary. "Shannon, you're awake!" she cried.

I may have been bed-ridden, but I didn't miss the awkward glance between her and Mac, or the way he hurriedly excused himself. I raised an eyebrow as Beth slipped into th chair Mac had recently vacated.

"So that's the cute one." I said to her.

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Before the mission," I said. "You asked me what I thought of the cute one."

"Oh, that."

"Well, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Beth asked, feigning confusion.

I gave her a hard look. "I saw the whole awkward glance thing." I told her.

She winced. "That obvious, huh?"

I nodded. Beth sighed. "There's not much to tell, I'm afraid." She said. "He kind of overheard me telling Conner that I thought he was cute. He hasn't really met my eyes since then."

"I see." I replied. "But at least it proves he's interested in you, too."

"What?"

I rolled my eyes at her and ignored the pain it caused. "He wouldn't be making such a fuss if he didn't like you." I said.

Beth and I talked for a while longer, until I couldn't hide my yawns anymore. "Oh, you must be tired!" she said. "I'll come back and see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks Beth."

"No problem." She said. "Now get some sleep."

I nodded, half-asleep already. And before long I had slipped off to sleep, memories rushing unbidden through my head.

* * *

_I knew I would be in serious trouble if mom caught me. But I couldn't sleep. It was Christmas! So I snuck halfway down the stairs to watch the grown ups. It wasn't as fun as being down there with them, but it was better than sleeping._

_As I watched, I saw my mom and Uncle Jack walk towards the kitchen. They seemed kind of tense. Aunt Janet, Uncle Danny and Uncle Murray didn't notice that they left, since they all seemed to be arguing about something._

_I moved slightly so I could see the kitchen better. I watched in fascination as my mother bustled around the kitchen, trying not to look at Uncle Jack. Except her eyes kept sliding back to him. It reminded me of Josh, a boy in my class. He used to watch me like that when he thought no one was watching. But I think that's only because he wanted to put frogs in my hair. Somehow, I didn't think mommy wanted to put frogs in Uncle Jack's hair._

"_Hey Carter." Uncle Jack said._

_I've always wondered why Uncle Jack called mom 'Carter'. Everybody else called her Sam. Maybe it was a special name. Like something only Uncle Jack could call mom. I like that idea._

"_Yes, sir?" my mom answered._

_The more I thought about it, the more the idea made sense. 'Carter' and 'Sir' must be special names that only mom and Uncle Jack could call each other. Kind of like the way Joanna says her mom likes to call her dad 'Mr. Sexypants' sometimes._

"_Dance with me." Uncle Jack said._

"_Sir…" she began._

"_Come on," Uncle Jack coaxed. "It's Christmas."_

_Mom looked around for a second. I hunched back into the shadows, my heart hammering in my chest. She hadn't seen me, had she?_

_I didn't think so when she stepped into Uncle Jack's waiting arms. He pulled her close and her arms went around him. She rested her head against his shoulder and they slowly waltzed around the kitchen._

_As I watched them dance, I wondered if I would be getting a new daddy soon, just like Michael Robinson had gotten a new mommy. I wouldn't mind if Uncle Jack became my new daddy. He obviously liked mom a lot and he told the coolest bedtime stories._

_I watched mom and Uncle Jack dance for a bit longer, before looking back at the lounge room. I froze in horror when I saw Uncle Danny watching quietly from the doorway. Fear coursed through me as he glanced at me. But instead of telling mom or yelling at me for not being in bed, he put his finger to his lips and turned back to watch mom and Uncle Jack._

_Almost trembling with relief, I too turned back to watch mom and Uncle Jack again. Mom leaned back as I watched and I was amazed to see her crying. What had Uncle Jack done to make her cry?_

_Uncle Jack looked at mom with a sad and longing expression on his face. Tenderly he reached out and brushed the tears from mom's cheeks. "Merry Christmas Carter." He said softly._

"_Merry Christmas, sir." Mom whispered back._

_I glanced back at the lounge room, but Uncle Danny had gone. I stood and slipped away back to my room, not wanting to get caught and strangely sad at having seen mom and Uncle Jack dancing in the kitchen.

* * *

_

I woke up with tears still wet on my cheeks. What had made me remember the half-forgotten scene in the kitchen? Looking back on it now, I began to realise I had barely understood what my mother had been through over the years. I couldn't even imagine the pain she must have felt, loving him from afar and only catching stolen moments together when her heart could bear it…and knowing he was the father of her only child.

I was beginning to realise my mother had a lot more strength than I had ever given her credit for.

I wondered how many other stolen moments I had unknowingly witnessed. I cast my mind back as I lay in the dark and quiet infirmary, dredging up memories from my early childhood. I smiled sadly. Most of it had been a look here, a touch there. And I had seen it all without knowing the depth of feeling behind it.

* * *

The next day my mother came to visit me again. "Hello, sweetheart." She greeted.

"Hi, mom." I replied.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Better." I said. "I actually sat up be myself this morning."

"You'll be back on your feet before you know it." She smiled.

We sat in companionable silence for a moment. Taking a deep breath, I asked the question that had been echoing around my head since last night. "Mom," I said. "My…conception. How did it happen?"

Then I blushed as I listened to my words. "Well, I know how it _happened_ happened." I explained quickly. "But, I mean, what made you give in to it?"

My mother gave me a half-sad, half-amused smile. "Give in?" she mused.

"Yeah." I said. "Give in the your feeling, the attraction…the love you felt for each other."

She sighed sadly. "It was about a month after we knew he was dying." She began. "And by then we knew that only a miracle was going to cure him."

She paused for a second. "One evening, Teal'c, Daniel, Janet and I all went over to the Colonel's house to try and cheer him up." She continued. "Along with a couple of bottles of vodka for backup."

She looked at me and gave me a small shrug. "We ended up drinking them all." She said, wincing slightly. "About midnight, Teal'c left to escort Daniel and Janet home, leaving me to put the Colonel to bed."

Mom broke off at that, and I knew she was deciding just how much to tell me. Finally, she continued. "I helped him stagger upstairs and take off his boots." She said, her voice growing soft. "As I turned to leave and go home myself, he stopped me by grabbing my hand and…and asking me to stay, to please just stay."

She turned to look at me with tears in her eyes. "I couldn't say no." she wept, the tears slipping silently down her face. "I couldn't stop him dying. I couldn't do anything! We had no future. I just wanted one moment in time. One night to sleep in his arms."

"And that's all I planned to do." She continued in a whisper, wiping away the tears. "I can't even claim I was all that drunk. I could have gotten up and left. But I didn't want to. I wanted to stay. And leaving would have destroyed a bigger part of me than staying."

I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing gently in support. Then my mother pierced me with a direct stare. "No matter what, Shannon, I wouldn't change that night for the entire world. Not only because it gave me you, but because I spent the night in the arms of the man I loved and will love forever." She said firmly. "It was worth every punishment. Every insult."

"And mom…why did you never get together after you found out about me? So we could try and be a family?" I asked, my voice breaking.

My mother looked at me and when she spoke there was an edge of bitterness to her voice. "Because I was ordered not to." She said angrily.

"By who?"

"The President himself."

I stared at the woman in front of me in silence for a moment, tears pouring down my face. I felt my heart finally break through all the barriers around it as I leaned forward and embraced her in a fierce hug. I felt heartbroken for everything my parents had been forced to endure and so proud that this strong and courageous woman was my mother.

"I'm so sorry, mom." I sobbed softly. "For everything. You're so amazing and I'm sorry I never saw that. I love you so much!"

"I'm sorry too, Shannon." My mother whispered back, hugging me just as tightly. "I love you, too. Forever."

We held each other for a while, our healing tears bridging the gap between us as we both grieved for the man had both lost.


	7. Seeing Things

**Chapter Seven:**

When Doc Fraiser entered the infirmary five days later, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation. I laughed her expression. "Want to join in?" I asked cheerfully.

"No, thank you." She said, caught between annoyance and amusement. "Some of us have better things to do than play poker all morning."

I laughed again. Janet was rumoured to be one of the best poker players on the base. "And, Daniel, I'm disappointed in you." She added.

Daniel just flashed her a roguish smile. He, along with Major Mackenzie, Captain Morgan and Teal'c, was sitting around my bed, cards in hand. "Sure you don't want to join, Doc?" Mac asked.

"Quite sure, Major." Janet replied. "I'm just here to check on my patient."

With a fair bit of good-natured grumbling, the four men all got up and said their good byes (although I had to admit, Teal'c didn't really grumble at all). They all knew better than to argue with the Doc.

"So, how are you feeling today, Shannon?" she asked me.

"Perfect." I replied. "Are you going to let me leave today?"

Janet sighed. "We'll see." She said.

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Janet ran the standard test she had been running for the past five days to see how much I had improved over night. "You've been sleeping well?" she asked.

"Yes, Doc."

"And eating everything you're given?"

"Yes, Doc?"

"Have you had any dizzy spells? And more headaches?"

"No, Doc."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?"

"No, Doc." I replied for what felt like the hundredth time. "I feel fine."

Janet sighed. "Well, then I guess you can go home this afternoon."

I turned to her, delighted. "Really?" I asked eagerly. "Not that my stay in the Hotel de SGC Infirmary hasn't been wonderful, but I can go back to my own bed now?"

"Yes, Shannon." Janet smiled. "But I'm going to want to see you every morning for the next couple of days, just to make sure you aren't overdoing yourself. And I have to recommend to the General that you go on no missions for the next week."

I sighed. "At least I get to go home." I said.

Janet nodded. "And work in your lab." She said. "Because if you're anything like your mother, nothing I say will stop you."

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her. "Yeah, I did want to run an experiment or two…" I agreed, then frowned as a thought struck me. "Oh, God. How much paperwork will have pilled up on my desk by now?"

Janet grinned knowingly. "A lot." She said.

I sighed. "I guess I'd better go do it." I groaned. "Or it might start breeding."

* * *

Two hours later, my eyes were gritty from staring at paperwork for way too long and I was sick of people coming in to ask me if I felt better. I mean, I was out of the infirmary, wasn't I? That meant I _did_ feel better.

I sighed and reached for my now cold cup of coffee. At least I was halfway through the stack. I guess it was funny, since I was a scientist and scientists are known for their masses of paperwork, but I detested the stuff. And since mom didn't, I've always wondered if I got that from my father.

"You did." Said a voice, startling me. "I never did like paperwork either."

I let out a surprised squeal as I looked up and saw the source of the voice. My coffee cup went flying and shattered on the floor, spraying cool brown liquid everywhere. I continued to stare in shock at the man, my heart beating so hard and fast I was scared it would jump right out of my chest.

Because standing, not more than a few steps in front of me, was my father. He looked just like his photograph, dressed in a green Air Force uniform, his brown eyes looking into mine. "What the hell is going on!" I said, my voice sounding choked and breathy from fear.

"Don't you remember me, Shannon?" my father asked.

"You're dead." I stated, trying to make myself believe my father wasn't standing right in front of me. "That's it. The paperwork has made me crazy. You're not here. You can't be here. You're dead!"

Jack smiled and shook his head. "I thought you'd say that. You haven't spent enough time around the SGC to find out this is actually kind of normal."

"So you're really here? And somehow not dead?" I snapped.

Jack winced slightly. "Not so much."

"Not so much?" I snapped, scared I really was going crazy.

Maybe it was stress. Yes, that was it. I'm not crazy, just stressed. Right?

"Think of me as a…spirit." Jack said. "Sent to help you."

"This is not real." I muttered to myself, closing my eyes. "I'm just delusional."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, scared to death that when I opened my eyes, dad would still be standing there. Don't get me wrong, I would love to meet my father. But as a ghost? Not really. Not unless I was ready to except I had gone stark raving nuts in the past few minutes.

"Shannon, are you alright?" came Uncle Danny's familiar voice. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I jerked a little at his voice, startled. But, thankfully, when I opened my eyes again, dad was gone. Strangely I felt sad and disappointed too, but I ignored that. "Shannon?" Daniel asked again.

"Sorry." I said. "I guess I was…" I hesitated. Should I tell him what I had seen?

I turned to look at him and saw the love and concern in his blue eyes. Daniel had always been family to me, a man who had never tried to be my father, perhaps knowing he couldn't be, but had been someone I wouldn't hesitate to go to if I was in trouble.

"Promise you won't tell anyone yet, Uncle Danny?" I asked, biting my lip in nervousness.

Daniel smiled. "You haven't called me Uncle Danny in years." Then he frowned, looking even more concerned if that was possible. "Is it that serious?" he asked.

"It could be."

"Okay. I won't tell anyone. Yet." He agreed after a moment. "But if whatever this is gets serious, Shan, I'm going to tell whoever I need to."

"I'm scared I might need you to do that." I said softly.

And I was. I mean, who wasn't scared of finally realising they've started hallucinating, and it has nothing to do with drugs?

"What is it, Shannon?" Daniel asked gently.

"I saw my dad." I said. "He was standing right there. I was so surprised I dropped my coffee. It went everywhere."

"I wondered what that was." Daniel muttered. Then he asked in a louder voice, "Are you really sure it was him?"

"Oh, yeah." I said. "He told me to think of him as a kind of spirit."

I looked at Daniel. "Do you think I'm going crazy?"

Smiling, Daniel shook his head. "No. It's probably nothing. I mean, you've just come out of the infirmary, right? Why don't you just go home and get some sleep. It'll look better in the morning."

"You're right." I said. "I should probably do that."

"And don't worry about mess. I'll clean it up."

"Thanks, Uncle Danny." I said and gave him a hug.

"Anytime." He replied.

As I walked out the lab and headed for the surface, I couldn't help but frown. I had seen the worry in Daniel's eyes as he had told me not to worry about it. I knew he didn't think I was crazy, but…well, something about the way he had told me to go home, meant he probably knew something about what was going on. And I knew I wasn't going to like whatever that was.

* * *

"You know you've got in Danny in a panic now?" my father said conversationally as I walked out the bathroom.

I screamed and clutched the towel tighter around me. My heart was pounding in my chest and I suddenly felt the urge to hit him. If I could. "Don't do that!" I snapped. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry." He apologised, but I got the feeling he wasn't all that sorry.

"No you're not." I told him.

He grinned. "Guess not." He agreed.

I sighed. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, our earlier conversation was interrupted." He said. Then he looked at me sharply. "Why are you suddenly accepting me? A couple of hours ago you were telling yourself you were going crazy."

I blinked in surprise. He was right. I actually accepted his presence here. That he was actually standing there…sort of. It just felt, well, right.

"I guess I was too annoyed." I said, slightly frowning. "I don't like being surprised."

"You used to love it." He replied.

"That was with presents, dad." I said, walking past him into my bedroom. "And I still do. Having your dead father confront you after stepping out the shower is a little different."

"I guess I can see that." He agreed.

I turned to look at him pointedly. "Do you mind?" I asked, shutting the door. "And no walking through the door!"

Jack sighed. "I wasn't going to, you know."

"Good."

Five minutes later I reappeared, now dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, to find my father standing in the hall with his hands in his pockets. "Okay." I said.

Dad raised an eyebrow. Man, it was weird thinking of him as dad when he was standing in front of me, like that. I mean, I'd known about him for years, but he hadn't been here. I found it was easier to think of a man in a photograph as my father, but when confronted by the real thing – sort of – it was a lot harder.

"So what do you want?" I asked.

"What do you remember about your last trip off world?" he asked.

I frowned. "Not much. We were trying to decode an temple used by the Ancients, and I got knocked out in the process."

"That's not all of it." Dad said flatly.

I glanced at him sharply. "Well, if you know all about it why are you getting me to tell you?"

"Because I want to help you understand what happened."

I blinked for a second, a memory of a glowing woman flashing into my mind. "Oma." I said softly. "This has something to do with Oma Desala."

Jack smiled. "That's my smart daughter."

I glanced at him. "All right, start talking."

"Not here." Dad replied.

I frowned, a thought suddenly striking me through all the surprise and wonderment I felt, souring it. "Dad, you can pretty much appear whenever you want, right?" I asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." He said.

"Then why the hell haven't you ever come back before!" I snapped, years of anger at him leaving coming through. "You have a daughter, a woman who loves you and friends that still grieve for you. Why didn't you ever come back and at least say goodbye?"

Dad winced. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" I echoed. "Just tell me."

"In a minute, I promise." He said. "You'll understand everything soon, Shannon."

Before I could reply to his rather cryptic answer, I saw a blinding flash of white and felt something similar to travelling through the stargate – being pushed and pulled all at once, just without the bone-chilling cold. When I could see again, I noticed that I appeared to be in some sort of metal room…which either meant an underground bunker, or a spaceship. I was betting on the spaceship.

I turned around at a sound behind me and came face to face with a familiar man. Instead of the Air Force uniform he was wearing a second ago, my father was now wearing some sort of flowing robes and I noticed his harsh military haircut was gone, and his silver hair hung to his shoulders. He didn't look like he'd aged much either.

"Hello, Shannon." He said. "It seems I owe you an explaination."

Damn straight.


	8. Explanations

**Chapter Eight:**

"So?" I snapped out, raising an eyebrow.

Jack winced at my tone. "Come, let's go somewhere more comfortable first."

I followed him, silently seething with the anger that I hadn't known I felt. It seemed that ever since I had seen him standing in front of me, I had been battling feelings of betrayal and anger. I simply couldn't understand why he had left me and my mom for all these years. It had been different when I had thought he was dead. But, since he obviously could, why hadn't he come back? And why hadn't he told me that I was his daughter from the moment I was born?

I blinked in surprise as that thought crossed my mind. I searched my feelings and it was true. I felt betrayed and hurt that my last name wasn't O'Neill like his. I was his daughter, but somehow he didn't think I was good enough to know that from the very start.

The room he led me into was large and sparsely decorated, with a desk and chairs at one end and a bed at the other. A large window dominated one of the walls, showing a beautiful view of the stars and Earth.

Obviously noticing the direction of my gaze, my father spoke. "We're cloaked and in orbit of Earth."

I walked over to him and gave him a thump to the chest. "Seems you're real enough, too." I said. "So, since you have both the technology and the ability to travel to Earth, why the hell haven't you come to see your family before now?"

With every word, my voice had risen and gotten angrier. By the time I had finished, I almost felt like punching my father in the jaw, whether he was my parent or a highly trained fighter or not.

To my absolute disgust, tears began to pour down my cheeks. Angrily, I wiped them away, but more kept falling. And despite everything I knew and felt right now, I couldn't keep the joy and love from warming my heart as I finally realised my father was alive.

"Didn't you love us enough?" I sobbed. "Didn't we mean enough to you?"

"God, Shannon." My father said brokenly, pain filling his voice. "It wasn't like that. There hasn't been a day that goes by that I didn't just want to say 'to hell with the rules' and come back. To see you graduate high school and then college. To buy you your first car. To scare away all your boyfriends."

"Then why?" I whispered, tears still pouring down my face.

Strong arms wound around me and pulled me close. I buried my face in my father's shoulder and let the sobs come. I don't know how long I cried into my father's shoulder, or how long he just held me, but when the tears had finally stopped, I leaned back to look at his face. I was surprised when I saw that his eyes were as red as I imagined mine were and there were trails of tears down his face.

He reached up to cup my face in his hands, and wiped away the last of my tears with his fingers. "You don't how sorry I am, Shannon." He said hoarsely. "I can only hope that once you've heard my reasons you won't hate me so much."

"I don't hate you, Dad." I said. "I can't. I will always love you."

Tears gathered in my father's eyes once more. "I will always love you too, Shannon." He said, before kissing my forehead.

We clung to each other for a moment longer, before breaking away and moving towards the chairs at one end of the room. Sitting down, my father turned to me. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I guess I should start from the beginning." He said. "How much do you know about my 'death'?"

"Not much." I said. "I only know you were sick for a while, before you were killed on a mission off-world."

"Well, I guess I've got a lot to tell you then." He said.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Just a little."

He smiled slightly at my weak attempt at a joke. I looked at him and noticed how old and tired he seemed all of a sudden. It was as if the weight of the world had been on his shoulders for so long, he wasn't sure how to get rid of it anymore. I felt the anger fading as I looked at him. If I knew only one thing, it was that staying apart from his friends and family for all these years had been as hard for him as it had for us, if not more.

"How much do you know about the Ancients?" Dad asked.

"A little." I frowned as I tried to remember. "They inhabited Earth before the humans and were the builders of the stargates. They ascended to a higher plane when a plague spread through the galaxy."

Dad nodded. "That's the simple version, yes." He said. "But not all of it. As we already suspected years ago, human are the direct descendants of the Ancients. It was part of the way they decided to defy the plague that killed so many of them."

"I'm not sure I understand." I said.

"Human are the children of the Ancients, left on Earth so that the Ancient Civilisation might one day continue." He explained. "They knew this would be a hard task, so they left clues and technology buried on Earth for us to find and use. And they imprinted a marker in our DNA, so that when we began to reach a certain point in our evolution they could come back and begin to teach us what we needed to know."

I nodded, trying to digest the implications of what my father was saying. "So, what has this got to do with you and why everyone believes you dead?" I asked, more curious than angry and bitter now.

"You were right. I was sick, in a way." Dad said. "I had a second repository of Ancient knowledge downloaded into my head. Except this one was different from the first. My brain seemed to be able to hold it better, meaning my symptoms were slower. And this time the Asgards couldn't take it out. It seemed the information had recognised something in my brain and had become a part of it."

"Meaning you couldn't remove it anymore than you could remove a crucial part of you brain." I said, suddenly understanding.

"Exactly." Dad agreed.

"Is that why you couldn't tell me you were my father?"

"Not so much." Dad said. "The reason I didn't tell you I was your father was because I didn't want to have to force you to watch my go crazy, or worse have me simply disappear. I thought that you would be too young to handle that."

"But you survived a lot longer than you thought you would."

"Yeah. I did. But don't get me wrong. By the time I told you who I really was I was pretty bad. Most of the time I was a babbling mess. You just saw me on my good days."

I smiled slightly at his attempt at humour. "And I guess mom saw it all?" It wasn't really a question.

"Yeah."

I began to understand why no one had told me who my father was. For anyone, having a father that could be rational one moment and babbling the next would be hard, but a child of two or three simply wouldn't understand. And I knew that my father would never have wanted me to see that, even if he never said it out loud. I guess, after he 'died' it was just easier to let me assume my father had left a long time ago rather that the truth. Particularly since I hadn't had the clearance to know the truth for most of my life.

"So how did you die?" I asked. "And why aren't you dead now?"

"My last mission was to a small Ancient outpost on one of the uninhabited planets near Earth." Dad explained. "We thought Anubis didn't know about it, but we were wrong. He sent some of his super-soldiers to kill us and gain control of the outpost. We fought them off, but just as I touched the Ancient technology, I was hit by two blasts to the back."

I gasped in shock and had to resist the urge to make sure my father's back was still whole and there weren't two gaping holes in it. "And?"

"It was the strangest thing." He said, his eyes moving to gaze at the wall if he was looking at something I couldn't see. Then he focused back on my face. "Do you trust me, Shannon?" he asked abruptly.

I blinked in surprise. "Yes, of course…"

"Then just close your eyes." He said.

I gave him a look, not sure what to make of his request, but I closed my eyes anyway. As I shut my eyes I felt his hands come out and cup my temples, and then everything faded until all I could hear was my own heartbeat and I felt myself drifting away.

* * *

_Pain blossomed in my back as I felt to jolts, each once forcing me to stagger forwards and breaking my stride. I stumbled and fell forwards, landing on all fours on the paved stone of the Ancients' temple. I couldn't stop the groan of pain escape my lips and only hoped none of my team had heard it. If they came back…I couldn't stand the thought of this happening to them too._

_I could hear the measured paces of Anubis' soldiers behind me, but forced myself not to think of that. I had to get up and get up now. I half-staggered to my feet, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. Instead of lurching to my feet, I just sank back down into the mud and felt the pain increase until I felt as if my whole body was on fire._

"_Sir!" I heard a distraught voice call out, followed by a rapid burst of gunfire._

_Finding the strength from somewhere within me, I raised a head that felt like it weighed ten times as much as usual. "Carter!" I bellowed. "Get back to the gate!"_

_Damn woman never listened to my orders anyway, I thought as I saw her running towards me. Damnit! She should be running in the other direction. The soldiers would be on us in minutes._

"_Sir!" she yelled again as she skidded to a halt in front of me, before dropping down onto her knees._

_I frowned. How had she gotten here so fast. She had been a long way away before I blinked. I vaguely noticed T and Daniel behind her, laying down cover fire. I caught Danny's eyes when he glanced over at me and saw the truth in his eyes. Not that I didn't already feel it. I was dying._

"_Colonel." Carter said, tears falling down her face. "Get up. We have to get out of here!"_

"_I'm not going anywhere, Carter." I said as I crumpled to the ground, the strength in my arms failing._

_I could feel the hot sticky trails of blood sliding down my back and marvelled that so much of it could be held in one person. Who knew that I had that much blood in me?_

"_I'm not leaving without you!" Carter said, stubbornness clear in her voice._

"_You have too." I said, my voice growing weaker as I spoke and there was nothing I could do about it. "You have to get T and Danny back safe." I swallowed. "You have to take care of Shannon."_

"_I can't leave without you." She sobbed._

_I reached up a hand, surprised to see how it shook. "I'm dying, Sam." I said, looking into her bright blue eyes. "You can't save me this time. But you have to save yourself."_

_I could see the understanding in her eyes along with the denial. She didn't want to believe I was dying, but she had to. For her sake. "I love you, Jack." She whispered._

"_I love you, too, Sam." I replied. "I always will."_

_She nodded as my hand fell away from her face. I just couldn't seem to hold it there anymore. She leaned forward and gave me a brief kiss, before turning and yelling at T and Daniel. I wasn't sure what she said or where she went, because suddenly sound had dulled as had the pain and I couldn't seem to move._

_I don't know how long I lay there, clinging that last frisson of pure pleasure that I had felt with Sam's lips on mine, but I knew I had to do something, anything. I needed to buy them enough time to get through the gate. Using the last of my energy, I surged to my knees and then to my feet and staggered three steps to the Ancient chair device in the centre of the temple. With my last surge of strength I slammed my hand on the controls and triggered the weapons, the knowledge coming effortlessly into my mind._

_There was a bright flash of light surrounding me, and then everything faded to black.

* * *

_

I gasped as I found myself back in my own body. I blinked a little, before staring at my father, tears on my face. "Oh, dad." I said, before getting up and wrapping him in a big hug.

I had felt and seen everything he had and I knew just how much it had cost him to say goodbye to my mother and accept the knowledge he would never see me again. Dad tugged me forwards and onto his lap, where I clung, just like I had when I was a little girl. After a while, I managed to lean back and wiped the tears from my eyes. I was sure they were all puffy by now. I hadn't cried this much in years.

"So what happened during the flash?" I asked.

"The flash was me triggering the weapon." He said. "What I didn't know was that it also had brought down the attention of Oma Desala. As much as she claimed that humans needed to find their own way, she healed me and brought me here, to this ship."

I frowned, confused. But before I could ask a question, my father put a finger to my lips. "Just listen for a minute." He said. "It turns out that the Ancient knowledge had slowly been changing my DNA, making it so that I could carry the part of the knowledge that I needed. But it also meant something else – something that was far more disturbing."

"What?"

"The changes to my DNA made me into something that wasn't quite human anymore."

"It tried to make you into an Ancient." I said, suddenly understanding.

"Yes." My father agreed. "I am the next step in humanity's journey to becoming the Ancients once more."

I nodded, trying to take all this in. I have to admit, it was a lot to process all at once. Then a thought struck me. "I thought the Ancients frowned upon the whole meddling in other civilisations thing." I said.

"Oh, they do." Dad agreed. "Except for a few select members that carry a specific marker in their DNA. The Ancients made a pact along time ago to equip their descendants with the ability and knowledge needed to protect themselves."

"From what?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

"The descended Ancients." Dad said. "Like Anubis."

"So that's what you are?" I said.

"Yes." He said. "I and the few others here have the task of ridding the Universe of these beings before they destroy humanity."

I nodded, thinking for a minute. "Okay." I said. "I have just two more questions."

"Only two?"

"Dad." I groaned out. "I'm trying to be serious here."

"Sorry." He apologised. "What are your questions?"

"Number one: Why couldn't you come back and tell everyone at the SGC all this?"

Dad winced. "Well, I'm not allowed. It seems I'm bound by the same rules that prevent me from meddling in other civilisations."

"And telling the woman you love that you're not dead is meddling?" I asked, incredulous.

My father got an angry look in his eyes for a moment. "Apparently, yes." He said, and I could hear the fury behind the words.

"That brings me to question number two: Why have you suddenly told all this to me?"

Dad sighed. "That's not so easy to answer." He said. "You see, because no one really knew I was your father, no one realised what the implications could be."

"What implications?"

"You have the same DNA I have now, except yours is slightly different."

"You mean I'm an Ancient?" I asked, shocked.

"Essentially: yes." Dad said. "You're the first Ancient to be born on Earth for over five million years."

I gaped at him in shock. "When you triggered the altar in the Ancient Temple, everyone realised that you possessed the Ancient DNA." My father explained. Then he gave me a grave look. "And we need you, sweetheart. More than you know. You have the potential to make all my abilities look pale in comparison. We need you to help us save the human race."

Well, damn.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I hope that helps explain a lot more. And I hope it sounds plausible enough. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheeky.


	9. Training

**Chapter Nine:**

I stalked from one end of the room to the other, my robes snapping about my legs. I hated them and absently wished I was wearing my jeans again. It had been two days since I had disappeared from the SGC and I was getting worried. Two days of explanations and training and rules – one of which being I could not return to Earth.

The wonderment of being returned to my father had paled the moment they said I could not return to my family. At least, not until I could control my 'abilities'. Whatever that meant. I knew they just wanted more time to convince me to stay.

But what hurt the most about all this was the cold way my father had told me I couldn't go back. As if the heart I knew he had once had was no longer there. I would go back, damn it and _nothing_ was going to stop me. Not my father, not Anubis, not the Ancients. I hadn't asked for the stupid DNA and I wasn't going to sacrifice anything I loved for something I didn't even want.

As for Anubis? Well, the deal with him was he had once been a Goa'uld who had learnt the secrets of something called ascension, which led to leaving this plane of existence for a higher one. The problem was, this higher plane was for those who were pure of soul. Anubis wasn't, and the other Ancients had cast him back down. The only catch was they had let him keep any powers he would have gained in this plane. Which kind of meant he was half-ascended anyway. And then there was the fact, there were others like him.

I was beginning to get the impression that the Ancients might have been smart, insightful people but they sucked at long term planning. This of course, had led to the task my father had been given. When it came to the Ancients attention that he possessed their knowledge and had a gene receptive to their technology, they had decided he was the perfect person to do their dirty work. So a quick genetic manipulation later, he was on his way to becoming exactly what they wanted.

I'm still not entirely sure how they managed it, but the Ancients had trapped dad into this existence some how. He wouldn't tell me, but there had to be something holding him back. I mean, he wasn't the type man to abandon everything he loved. Was he?

The doubt was beginning to creep in, along with the realisation that I didn't really know my father at all.

"Good morning, Shannon." Said a calm voice from behind me.

I whirled, ready to snap at the intruder, but bit back my anger when I saw who it was. I was furious, but it wouldn't do me any good to yell at my teacher. She had already proved to be surreally calm and collected no matter how loud I yelled.

"No, it's not." I said, struggling for calm. "When can I return to Earth?"

"Not today." The tall woman answered, her voice still calm and sure. "This makes you angry." She noted.

Damn right it did! Not trusting myself to reply civilly, I turned and faced the window again, looking out on the inky blackness of space. But I could still see Anaya's calm form in the reflection of the glass. Like the others on this ship (all four of them), she wore the flowing robes of white and had a faint glow about her. He long brown hair fell in a cascade down her back and there was an expression of understanding in her eyes.

I sighed. "What's the lesson today?" I asked.

"We will focus on centring your consciousness again." Anaya said. "You must learn how to do this so you can reach your other abilities."

I followed her example and sank down into a cross-legged position on the floor, facing her. I settled my hands my hands in my lap and closed my eyes. "Empty your mind." Anaya told me, her voice soothing.

I tried, but somehow the feelings of pain and anger running around my head would not go away. I breathed slowly and deeply, trying to shut out my emotions.

"Your mind is not emptying." Anaya said. "You must do this before we can begin."

Did I mention how perceptive these guys were? Apparently they had some sort of telepathic ability, and while they didn't pry into your mind without an invitation, they had an annoying knack of picking up on strong emotion.

"I'm trying!" I snapped in frustration.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, imagining all the hurt and anger flowing out of me with the breath. Slowly my mind emptied and I began to drift.

"Good." Anaya said. "Now feel yourself floating down through the layers of your mind."

This was the part I had never been able to understand or achieve. I was a trained scientist with years of knowledge and analysis behind me. To me, the mind was a sharp tool to be used, not some mystical thing that I could float through.

I blinked my eyes open. This was not working. I wanted to go home!

"How are you doing?" asked a voice from the doorway.

My eyes snapped to the figure of my father standing in the doorway. Anger surged through me and I had to grit my teeth to suppress the urge to start yelling. "When can I go home?" I demanded.

"You can't." my father replied. "Not for a long time. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" I echoed, surging to my feet. "So it's okay with you if everyone at the SGC makes themselves sick with worry at my disappearance?"

"It can't be helped."

"Yes it can!" I snapped. "An hour is all it would take. I don't even have to go! You could send someone else!"

"The Ancients prevent us from meddling." He replied coldly.

"So your sudden appearance in my lab wasn't meddling?" I snapped archly.

"That was different." My father sounded a tad defensive.

Anger surged through me. I wanted to hit him so bad. I opened my mouth to retort when a thought stuck me out of the blue. Due to their acquired knowledge of the Ancients, my father and the others had been forbidden to contact their families and friends. But I was different, because I had been _born_ an Ancient, not made into one.

I didn't know where that thought had come from, but had a suspicion – Oma. She always was a rebel and liked meddling as much as she could. I suppressed a smile and said a quick thank you. "I was essentially born an Ancient, wasn't I?" I asked, surprising everyone with my abrupt change of subject.

"Essentially; yes." Anaya answered. "But you still remain fundamentally human as well. The way I've come to think of it is you're the next step in the evolution of the Ancients. Human were created to someday regain the knowledge the Ancients once had, but in doing so have changed from what the Ancients once created them to be."

"Outside influence." My father added quietly. "We were forced to see things the Ancients never saw and do things the Ancients never did."

I understood that – he was referring to the Goa'uld. Ironically they had led to the development of the same traits they had come to despise in humans. Namely our will to survive and determination to remain free.

I cocked my head to the side, still thinking. This is where things got fuzzy. I was essentially an Ancient, so the rules that bound my father didn't actually apply to me. As an Ancient, I was an equal. They could not order me or forbid me from anything. Not more than I could them, anyway.

A plan began to form in my mind, along with the first flickers of hope in my heart. A hope not just me, but for my father and the others as well. The only problem was, to put my plan into action, I would have to face the other Ancients. And that meant facing them on their own turf. I was an equal – and I would make them see that.

I blinked and focused back on the room around me, only to find my father and Anaya staring at me rather curiously. I stared back at them. "All right." I said. "I'll stay. I'll learn. But on one condition: my father teaches me."

My father nodded slowly, but Anaya smiled and nodded to me. "It is only right that you should learn from him." She said, before giving dad a look that definitely said 'I told you so'. Man, that was eerie.

With the formation of the plan in my mind, came a sense peace and calm I had not felt in a long time. It felt right. I sank back down to the floor and closed my eyes, not waiting for dad to join me. And as I did, I could almost here the click as a door in my mind opened.

* * *

I picked up the skills I needed remarkably fast. Everyone seemed shocked at the ease and speed I mastered my new ability – nor did they remark on their strength. Only my father seemed unsurprised at both these outcomes. He simply excepted the fact that my abilities were stronger than everyone else's. He simply said it was due being born an Ancient.

A month later, I was ready. Not perfect by any means, but I had learnt all my father could teach me. It was time.

But there was one thing I had to know before I faced the Ancients. One piece of information that would prove to me whether what I was about to attempt was actually possible and it wasn't just some fool's hope. I needed to talk to my father.

"Dad?" I called out as I entered his room.

"I'm here, Shannon." Came my father's soft voice.

I walked over to where he sat on his bed, head resting back against the wall and his eyes closed. He looked anguished and completely exhausted. "Are you alright?" I asked.

I smiled sardonically, but his eyes remained closed. "No." he said shortly.

I came to sit down beside him, concerned. My father and I had grown closer over the last month and I still loved him, not matter what. He was my father. "What's wrong?" I asked.

He finally opened his eyes and looked at me. I could clearly see the guilt and self-hatred in those brown depths. "It's time you went home." He said softly.

"You're letting me go?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What about the Ancients?"

My father's face hardened to a look of implacable determination. "They can't stop me. Not his time."

I heard the pain behind his words and spoke straight from the heart without a thought. "Come with me."

Dad looked at me, a deep sadness brimming in his eyes. "I can't." he whispered, sounding broken.

"Why not?"

My father shut his eyes again. "Because of you." He said.

"Me?"

"The Ancients…they promised to leave you alone if I stayed. To let you stay on Earth with you mother."

I stared in shock. Oh, God. They had wanted to take me away because of what I was. I could see it so clearly in my mind. "That's why you never tried to come back." I whispered, close to tears.

"Yes."

I leaned forward and hugged my father tightly. I knew now what I was about to do was right. And that I truly was an Ancient – in their minds as well as mine. "Don't worry, Dad." I said. "I'm going to fix it."

Without another word I got up and ran quickly out of the room, knowing my father would soon guess what I had planned. I was right. As I disappeared out the door I heard my father's surprised cry. "Shannon!"

Undeterred from my task, I ran straight to my room and sank down onto the floor. Around me, a ring of candles burned, just as I had left them. I closed my eyes and centred my mind in that calm and silent place I had grown to know so well. I reached out with my mind, drifting further from my body and found the place I sought. It was time to face the Ancients.

* * *

I blinked open my eyes, unsurprised at the glowing white light that surrounded me. I could not see anything, but felt their presence all around me. I climbed to me feet, and closed my eyes once more. I smiled at the shocked sensations around me as the light dimmed and the Ancients were exposed.

I saw Oma smile at me when I opened my eyes again, mischief clear in her expression. I suppressed a smile and focused my attention on the four Ancients that stood directly in front of me. These were the people I had come to see; the oldest and wisest – the leaders.

"What are you doing here, child?" One of them asked, his hair snowy white and his eyes a piercing blue.

"I am an Ancient." I said. "And it's time we had a talk."


	10. Painful Reunions

**Chapter Ten:**

"Indeed?" One of the other Ancients rumbled.

"Yes." I stated firmly. "Do you except that I was born an Ancient?"

They all nodded. "Yes. You are the first Ancient to be born on Earth for millions of years."

"Then you except I am also an equal?" I said, just as firmly and directly as before.

This time the nods were slower in coming, but they all agreed. "Yes, you are an equal." The first Ancient spoke again.

"What is it you want?" A woman asked, her green eyes curious.

I smiled slightly, both amused and cautious. "That's what I've come to talk about."

"Oh?" the woman asked.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was the tricky part. I had to make sure I wasn't about to offend anyone with what I next said. I needed their support in this.

"I am an Ancient, and with that come certain responsibilities that I have come to understand. My abilities have a price, as does the knowledge I know possess."

The knowledge had come to me as my abilities grew, as if the Ancient part of me had been there all the time, and I had only just realised it. Then I blinked. There was no 'as if' about it. It _had_ the whole time and I _had_ only just realised it.

"This is true. All knowledge comes with a price." The Ancients agreed.

"You have a high price for your knowledge." I continued. "You must hold yourselves apart from the life you created, unable to protect them."

"This, too, is true." The Ancients said. "We cannot interfere."

"But I can." I said.

The Ancients came as close to staring in open-mouthed shock as I think they would ever get. I stared at each of their faces and let them know that I possessed the solution they had been looking for – and that it, too, came with a price.

"How?"

"I was born on Earth. I am a part of that Universe you left behind." I said. "I am an Ancient, yet I am not ascended. I can fight those you cannot touch."

I saw the realisation in their eyes. They were beginning to see the truth as I saw it and the possibilities that came with it.

"What do you propose?" said the white haired Ancient.

"I will rid the Universe of Anubis and those like him and protect those you left behind."

"And in return?"

"I want you to release my father and those who help him from their bonds to you." I answered.

The man looked sharply at me. "You wish to allow them to return home?"

"Yes." I agreed. "But they would also help me in my task."

For a minute they simply stared at me, but I could sense the thoughts going backwards and forwards amongst them as they discussed my proposition. After what seemed like an eternity that answered me. I held my breath, knowing what they were about to say had the power to change my entire existence.

"It is agreed. If you can free the Universe from the Flawed Ones, then you have what you wish."

I nodded. "Thank you, wise ones." I said.

"But there is one more condition." The Ancients continued. "You will take you place amongst the Alliance as our representative when you are done. It is time the Ancients took their place in the Universe once more."

"Do we have a deal?" The green eyed woman asked.

"Yes." I said. "We have a deal."

She smiled. "Good."

Just before I left, Oma spoke straight into my mind. "Well done, child. You have done something I have been trying to do for millennia."

I flashed her a grin and felt my mind drifting back towards my body.

* * *

When I blinked my eyes open again, I saw my father's concern face hovering just above mine. All the candles had been blown out and I could see the anger behind my father's eyes. I'm not sure who the anger was directed at, but it was there.

"Shannon." He said levelly. "What did you do?"

"I had a talk with Ancients." I replied.

"You what!" my father cried.

I smiled at him. "Don't panic, Dad."

He frowned at me. "What did you say to them?" he demanded. "Damn it, it was going to be hard enough to let you return to Earth without them being annoyed at you!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. When I saw my father's annoyed and frustrated face, I bit my lip. "They can't actually stop me from returning to Earth, Dad." I said. "Neither could you. I'm an Ancient. Which means I'm their equal."

At my words, my father lost some of his angry expression and it was replaced by a look of thoughtfulness. "So what did you talk to them about?"

"Anubis." I replied. "And you."

"What?" my father blinked.

"I made a deal with the Ancients." I explained. "I'll do what they cannot and rid the Universe of Anubis and his like before taking my rightful next to the Asgard, Nox and Furlings in the Alliance."

"In exchange for what?" Dad asked.

"Your freedom and mine." I told him.

My father stared at me in absolute shock. "Shannon…"

"Yes, Dad. You can go home. You all can."

"And you'll be with me?" my father suddenly sounded so scared.

"Right by your side." I agreed. "But you have to do one thing for me."

"Oh?"

"Cut your hair." I said, a small frown of distaste on my face. "Dad, what on Earth were you thinking when you let your hair grow like that?"

"You know," my dad replied. "I have no idea."

* * *

"So, how are we going to do this, Shan?" Dad asked. "We can't exactly waltz straight in there and say 'Hi, did you miss me?', can we?"

"Nope." I agreed.

After I had explained my deal to dad and the others, we had wasted no time in droping the others off at their homeworlds on the assumption that they would make there way to Earth in a week.

Everyone had been overjoyed to be reunited with their loved ones, but Dad and I knew it wasn't going to be so easy with mom and everyone else at the SGC. Particularly since Dad feared Mom might just shoot him on sight.

"Any ideas?" he asked.

"Nope." I said again.

He frowned. "You're supposed to be a genius." He complained. "Think of something!"

I just shook my head. "Nothing I can come up with results in anything but us being either shot, imprisoned or both."

Dad sighed, and ran his fingers through his newly shortened hair – which I had to say looked a whole lot better. "All I want to do is hold your mother again and tell her I love her. Why is that so hard?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Cause nothings every easy when it comes to you and Mom?" I suggested.

He made a face at me in reply. Together, we turned and looked at the blue and green planet we were orbiting. Earth. Home. The ship was cloaked, so no one knew we were here yet. All we had to do was figure out how to let everyone know Dad was still alive and I was actually an Ancient. Not so hard, right?

I sighed again. "Why don't we just scrap the idea of breaking it to them gently and just shock the hell out of them?" I said after a while.

"What, like just in the middle of the room?"

"Exactly." I said with a grin. "And we could do the whole glowing thing, too."

"Okay." Dad agreed. "Let's do that."

I whirled to stare at him and found he was completely serious. "I was kind of joking, Dad." I said.

"I know." He said. "But if they're going to shoot us, we might as well have some fun."

I opened my mouth to reply, but just grinned instead. "What the hell?" I said. "Let's do it."

* * *

"I want you to investigate the ruins…" The General trailed off in shock as the two glowing figures in loose white robes appeared in the centre of the briefing room.

Mom surged to her feet in absolute shock, fear warring with joy in her blue eyes. Dad took three strides towards her and pulled her into his arms. I don't think either of them remembered there were others in the room with them anymore. Crushing her against his chest, my father gave my mother one of the most passionate kisses I had ever seen. And I was simply too delighted to be grossed out by the fact my parents were making out like teenagers in front of me.

"Love." Said a voice behind me. "A truly powerful and beautiful force."

"I know." I told Oma, who had silently appeared.

The General recovered from his open-mouthed shock first. "Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?" he bellowed. "I was under the impression Colonel O'Neill was dead!"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Oma beat me to it. "I want to tell you a story, General, of a noble warrior who was forced to make a difficult choice. He had to choose between returning to the life and the woman he loved or his daughter's life."

"What are you talking about?" Mom demanded, drawing away from Dad and going to stand beside Teal'c.

I saw the look of pain and guilt in my father's eyes and went to stand beside him, showing everyone that I would stand beside him even if no one else would. I could see the anger and pain in everyone's faces and a part of my heart broke. It would take a long time for all this pain to heal, and I knew that I had to cause them more of it.

"As the knowledge of the Ancients worked its way through my father's mind, it began to alter his DNA, making him part Ancient." I said, reaching out to hold my father's hand. He squeezed back, giving me strength to continue. "He passed that DNA on to me. When the Ancients found out they offered him a choice: Help them and let you believe he was dead or they would take me away from Earth and my mother and raise me as their own."

I paused for a moment, looking at the pain-filled faces around me. "But the fight is no longer my father's alone. I am an Ancient. It is my burden to carry and he has been released from his bonds. He can return to you now, if you wish it."

It was my mother who spoke first. "No." she snapped, anger flashing in her eyes. "I don't wish it. Jack O'Neill is dead."

I watched as my father's heart was ripped apart by her words. I knew my mother was lashing out in pain and surprise but it did not help. My father had suffered as she had, perhaps more.

"No." I said, tears pouring down my face. "Jack O'Neill is alive!"

Teal'c rose and walked to stand next to Mom. He faced us and I could see the same surprise and anger etched in his eyes. "Indeed he is." He calm tone said. "The Jack O'Neill I knew would have found a way back."

I could not bear to turn and see my father's face. I held onto his hand, as if for dear life, and hoped he realised I was still with him. Out of all the scenes I had envisioned of our return, this had never been one of them. I knew that there was a lot of pain and anger that would come out, but I had never thought they would turn away from us completely.

I turned my anguished eyes to Daniel, silently begging him not to turn away as well. Oh, God, what had I done?

Daniel looked at Oma and then at me. He refused to meet my father's eyes. "Jack would have come back." He whispered. "If he could."

Then he looked up, staring directly at my father. "But you couldn't, could you?" he continued. "I know a little about what the Ancients are like. They offered you no choice but to help them, did they?"

"They would have brought up Shannon as one of them." My father said brokenly. "She would have known nothing about Earth or her mother. I couldn't let them do it."

Daniel walked up to Dad, his eyes brimming with tears. "Welcome back, Jack." He said.

Dad just gave a small smile and pulled his friend into a hug. Then Daniel turned to Teal'c and Mom. "At least let him tell his story." He said.

They didn't reply, but nor did they leave. So I took a deep breath and told them everything.


	11. Healing Old Wounds

**Chapter Eleven:**

Silence echoed around me as I finished my tale. Dad had told them what I could not, and together we had told them all about what had happened during the last 20 years. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, and I felt weak and vulnerable. I couldn't bare it if my family turned away from me again – and I considered Teal'c to be as much a part of my family as my parents.

Thankfully, Daniel was still sitting beside us, quietly supporting and comforting. I'm not sure if it's just the type of man he was or whether he truly knew the Ancients better than anyone else, but he had stayed by us when everyone else had turned away.

It had stung, almost unbelievably so, when my mother had told us to go…and broken my father's heart. I could still see then anger and pain reflected in her blue gaze, and hoped she would think before she lashed out again. My father had been through hell knowing that he would never see her again, and her rejection hurt him more than I could understand.

There was another glimmer of hope however. Dr. Janet Fraiser had also been called into the meeting, so she had heard everything as well. And so far she was simply watching us. She hadn't said anything – yet. But when she spoke, I at least had the comfort of knowing she had thought before she said it.

The General sighed. "This all seems a bit unbelievable." He said finally.

I attempted a smile. "I thought unbelievable described most things that happen around here?"

"You'll forgive me for not seeing the humour in this, Dr. Carter." The General said flatly.

I winced at his tone, but said nothing more.

"You said something about there being others like Anubis?" Daniel asked, going straight for the most important details.

"Yes." My father replied. "Anubis is not the only half-ascended being in the galaxy. But he is the only half-ascended Goa'uld."

"So what does that mean?" Janet asked.

I blinked in surprise at Janet's voice, even though I shouldn't have. She, like Daniel, was focusing on the immediate threat and giving herself time to think everything over.

"There are others out there with the same knowledge and power as Anubis." Dad explained. "And they have the same dreams of destruction."

"What can we do to stop them?" This time the General spoke.

He seemed more able to accept Jack, despite everything. The General hadn't really known Dad before his disappearance, and didn't really have any personal feelings to get in the way. He quickly assessed the threat of Anubis and those like him and knew he needed to know more.

"Nothing." I said. "This is my task, not yours."

"Then why are you here?" the General asked.

"Because I wanted to tell you what had happened." I said. "Because I wanted to see my family and friends again – and because I knew Dad deserved to go home."

The General sighed again. "We need to talk about this."

He punched a button and an airman entered the room. "Airman, escort Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Carter to the guest quarters, and make sure they do not leave."

* * *

I sighed from where I lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Dad sat on the other bed, staring intently at the wall and hadn't said anything since the door had shut over two hours ago. I was starting to get worried.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I said.

The sound of my voice seemed to rouse Dad from his deep thoughts. "What?" he asked.

"I said, penny for your thoughts." I repeated. "What are you thinking about?"

Dad rubbed a hand over his face. "Nothing." He said, a tad too quickly.

"Sure." I agreed, somewhat sarcastically. "And you just find drab green paint utterly fascinating."

Dad gave a weak smile. "Alright, so I was thinking about something." He admitted.

"What?"

Dad seemed to search for something to say, but before he could, I interrupted. "Ah." I said. "Mom."

"You always were perceptive." He said.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked.

"Not really." Dad replied.

I heard the pain in his tone and it made me sad. I guess every kid wants their parents to be madly in love and stay that way, but more than that, I just wanted my parents to be happy. And from the way they spoke, I knew they would only be truly happy together.

I got up and walked over to where my father sat, before sliding into his lap and hugging him. Almost unconsciously, he pulled me into his arms and I put my head against his shoulder.

"You haven't done this since you were a little girl." He said softly after a while.

"I know." I said.

We sat in silence for a long time, curled in each others arms like only a child and father can be, taking comfort in the fact we had each other. "I love you, Dad." I said. "And I'll be there for you, okay?"

Dad smiled down at me. "I know." He said, a gently kissed my forehead. "I love you too, kiddo."

Slowly my father began to softly stroke my hair just above my ear, just like he had when I had been a child. My eyes flickered shut at the comforting sensation and I rested my head more heavily on his shoulder. I was almost asleep in his arms when the door opened behind me.

When nobody said anything, I opened my eyes and turned so I could see who it was. My mother stood framed in the doorway, tears streaming down her face and a look of pain etched across her face.

I wasn't sure what it meant, but she quickly shut the door behind her. Since she was still here, I couldn't help but hope.

"How, Shannon?" she said, ignoring my father for the moment.

"How, what, mom?" I asked.

"How can you forgive him so easily?"

I looked my mother levelly in the eye. "It wasn't so easy, mom." I said. "But two more weeks of this than you have. And besides that, I've long since accepted something – he's my father and I love him. Nothing can change that."

My mother took a halting step froward and as she did, I slipped from my father's embrace, knowing they had to face each other without me in the way. "Jack…" she began, the tears slipping down her cheeks again.

"I'm sorry, Sammie." Dad said, interrupting her. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

"Sorry you couldn't come back," my mother whispered brokenly. "Or sorry you're here?"

Dad was off the bed and had gathered my mother into his arms almost before I could blink. "Don't even think that." He said. "I'd never sorry to be where you were. Whether you hate me or not."

"I don't hate you." My mother's words were muffled, but I couldn't mistake the effect they had on my father.

"You don't?" he asked softly, looking like a little boy who had been told that Santa Claus did exist after all.

My mother drew back a little to face him. "No. I love you, Jack. I always have."

Dad dipped his head and gave mom a kiss that I wasn't sure I should – or wanted to – be watching. I hoped this would go a long way to fixing the problems between them. It wasn't over. They had a lot of talking to do, but it was a promising start.

Mom drew away. "I'm sorry, Jack." She said. "About what I said. I do want you here…I just…I need time to deal with this."

My father cupped her face in his hands. "I know." He said, and kissed her forehead just like he had kissed mine earlier.

Then he turned and held open his arms to me. I almost ran towards my parents, surprised at the tears falling down my cheeks too. But then I was being held by both of them and everything was okay.

* * *

I woke slowly, awakened not so much by the quiet murmur of voice coming from the corner of the room, but of a sense that something was coming. Something big. I blinked open my eyes, surprised to find that Daniel, Teal'c and Janet had all joined mom and dad while I had been asleep.

I stretched lazily and yawned. I smiled as I sank back down into the blankets, revelling in the feeling of being home again. "Morning, sleepy." Daniel greeted with a smile, coming over.

"Morning Uncle Danny." I said, still reluctant to move.

Daniel sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at me curiously. "We're going to have to talk about all this new knowledge." He said. "You'll be a lot of help."

"I know." I said. "I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, Shan." He said.

"No problem." I said.

Then I glanced over at the others. "How's it going?" I asked.

"Better." Daniel said. "They're talking it out now."

"And you?" I asked.

Daniel smiled at me. "I'm just happy Jack's back. He's proved before he's hard to kill. I'm glad it was true this time too."

"Me, too." I said.

We shared a smile, both glad that the man we cared about was back with us and our family was once again reunited. It was a good feeling.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a feeling I got to savour for long. At that moment, the door opened, revealing the General. He had a worried look on his face and I feared that my feeling was about to come true.

I was right and for once I got no joy of the sensation. "We have a problem." The General said bluntly, looking directly at me.

"What kind of problem?" I said, throwing back the blankets and surging to my feet, ready for whatever was about to come.

"Anubis is headed straight for Earth with a Jaffa army." The General said. "Whose, I'm not sure. But the Tok'ra believe Baal might be helping him."

"Great." Daniel muttered beside me. "The two megalomaniacs have joined forces."

"What do you want to do?" I asked the General.

"What ever you have to, Dr. Carter." He said. "You said were an Ancient and that it was your job to get rid of Anubis. What do you need to do that?"

I was slightly surprised at the way the General handed control of this over to me. I knew I had more experience with this than he did, but I hadn't had any experience in defending Earth. As if sensing my thoughts, the General added, "Oma spoke to me about what you can do and I'll need all the help I can get. I don't have to bother with niceties, as I have been informed you are to be treated as a visiting diplomat."

At that I spluttered. "What? We'll have to take about that later, General. But right now I'm just a human who want to help save her planet."

"Good." The General said. "I'll tell you what we know on the way to the control room."

As I moved to follow him, I felt Dad come up to stand behind me and grabbed my hand. He squeezed it reassuringly. "Don't worry." He whispered. "The two of us are in this together, kiddo."

"No." my mother said from my other side. "We're all in this together."

I smiled. Anubis didn't stand a chance against my family. If only he knew what he was about to get himself into.


	12. Anubis Attacks

Author's Note: So sorry this has taken so long, guys! I feel really bad about it, but I got so busy with school – and then spent the last week and a half in bed with the flu. So sorry guys!

Cheeky.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:**

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" The warning echoed around the base as I stood in the control room and gazed at the spinning stargate below.

"Close the iris!" the General barked.

The iris closed with a familiar hiss as the wormhole engaged behind it. Everyone waited with baited breath for the loud thump that would signify something had come through, but none came. I glanced at the General who was standing beside me.

"What's going on?" he snapped at the gate technician.

But just as he spoke, the air in front of the stargate shimmered and solidified, revealing the image of a dark, cloaked figure seemingly standing in the middle of the ramp. I gasped when I recognised who it was and felt my father tense on my other side.

Below us, the Marines that guarded the gate room had swung their weapons to point at the figure, ready to fire if the order was given.

"It's a hologram, sir." The gate technician said, breaking the tense silence.

The General nodded tersely, still staring intently at the figure in the gate room. "Why isn't he speaking?" the General muttered.

"Because he wants to speak to me." I said, the words just coming out of my mouth without prompting – and I knew deep down in my gut that I was right.

The General gave me a sharp look, but nodded. I slipped out of the control room and down the stairs to the gate room. "Stand down." I called to the Marines as I entered. "He's a hologram."

The Major in command of the Marines looked up at the control room and we both saw the General nod. The Marines eased up from their crouches and pointed their weapons at the floor – but I noticed their hands stayed on them and they still regarded the hologram with apprehension.

I ignored them and walked up to the hologram, stopping a few steps beyond the edge of the ramp. "Anubis." I greeted levelly, suppressing a shiver of fear.

"Ancient." He returned, his voice echoing and disembodied, as if it did not come from a human chest…but then it really didn't.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Because of you." Anubis replied. "I will spare your people's lives if you tell me what I want to know."

"Ascension." I said thoughtfully, not needing to be told what information Anubis wanted. "You expect me to simply tell you everything I know about ascension?"

"If you want to spare this planet, then yes."

"I am an Ancient." I replied.

"Only one." Anubis sneered contemptuously. "I have defeated your kind before."

"I will not tell you what you want to know."

"Then I will exterminate all life on this miserable little planet!" Anubis said with such a disdain and hatred behind it, I couldn't help but feel the twist of terror in my gut.

"You can try." I said calmly. "But you will not succeed."

Rather than reply, Anubis simply vanished his hologram in a wave of shimmering air and disappeared from the gate room. With calm, controlled steps I made my way up to the control room. I was impressed at my ability to hold myself together as I walked so that I did nothing to betray the almost paralysing terror and doubt I felt. I had just told Anubis to attack!

Emotions rushed chaotically through me, twisting my stomach and making my head pound. How could I have ever thought that I could do this? I was just a girl compared to the Ancients! Wisdom had deserted me and I had foolishly endangered Earth!

As I walked into the control room I felt a wave of peacefulness and confidence wash over me. But the confidence wasn't my own, but rather my father's confidence in me. I glanced at him and he gave me a reassuring smile. Dad had felt the turmoil of my emotions and sought to soothe them in the only way that would have worked, silently giving me strength as well: through the Ancients bond of telepathy that we both had.

"Just what the hell was that all about?" the General spluttered when he turned to see me. "Why didn't you tell me it was Anubis?"

"I'm sorry, General. I should have." I replied.

"Yes, you should have." The General echoed. "However, the sentiments were the same."

I looked at him in surprise. "Did you really think I would ask you to give him that much of an advantage?" the General asked, slightly frustrated with my lack of faith.

"No." I said, smiling a little. "I guess you wouldn't have."

"Right." The General said. "So what are we going to do about this?"

"The only thing we can do." I said.

"Pray?" the General interrupted sarcastically.

I smiled. "No." I replied. "Find the lost city of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" the General snapped. "But no one knows where it is! Hence it being called the lost city."

"Oh, but I do." I told him. "It's in Antarctica."

* * *

"Okay, tell me again why we're going to Antarctica?" Daniel asked Jack, as he shrugged into his BDU's.

After my confession to the General, he had given us – including a rather bewildered Janet – permission to go straight to Antarctica and find Atlantis. As we had prepared to find the lost city, the General had started organising as many defences as he could find, but we both knew that it wouldn't be enough unless we found the lost city – and the weapon it was said to possess.

Which is how I found myself in the locker room changing into a pair of BDU's. After much consideration it had been decided that we were to take the ship that Dad and I had originally used to get to Earth, as it would be the quickest way to get to Antarctica – with the added bonus of the sensors that would help in a search. Anything would help as it was only a matter of hours before Anubis was in range to attack.

"To find the lost city of Atlantis." Dad replied.

"And you don't think that we would have found something that large sitting around Antarctica?" Daniel asked.

Dad grinned at him. "I thought I was supposed to be the sarcastic one?"

"Oh, he's been making up for your absence." Mom told him, with a teasing grin directed at Daniel.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.

I laughed. "Can't say I ever noticed." I said sweetly.

Daniel grinned at me while mom arched her eyebrow in a look of scepticism. I tried not to smile and turned back to my locker, while Janet just sat back and laughed. "Ready, kids?" Dad asked after a moment.

"Yes, sir." My mom said automatically, sounding like she hadn't ever stopped saying that.

Dad raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were a Colonel?" he asked. "Besides, I'm not all too sure if I still hold rank. Can aliens hold rank in the USAF?"

"You're not an alien." She replied firmly. "And old habits die hard I guess."

"Fair enough." Dad agreed. "So are we all ready to go?"

Without waiting for an answer, Dad simply flashed me a brief grin and directed his thoughts to the ship orbiting the planet above us. Then we all disappeared in a flash of light. Oh, the benefits of Ancient technology. I grinned at the four startled faces around me, before heading straight to the pilot's chair. Dad, of course, beat me to it, so I had to settle for being co-pilot.

I poked my tongue out at him, rather childishly, and crossed my arms. "How come I never get to fly?"

"Because I got here first." He replied, his smile a little smug.

I raised an eyebrow. "Try that next time and see what happens." I said.

As we spoke, Dad had started the engines and we began the short trip towards Antarctica. "Wow." My mom said as she followed us. "Nice ship."

"Thanks." Dad grinned.

Mom smiled softly and shook her head. "How long will it take us to get to Antarctica?" she asked.

"About five minutes." Dad answered. "Finding Atlantis, however, is going to take a lot longer."

"Oh?"

"I only know the vague coordinates." I explained. "As the Ancients used a different measurement system to us."

"That makes sense." Mom agreed.

"Anything we can do to help?" Daniel asked, coming up behind mom.

"Not until we land, thanks." I said.

As the great white expanse that was Antarctica spread out before the ship, slowly growing in size as we got closer, I shifted my mind slightly and directed my thoughts towards the ships computer. Dad shot me a glance as the ship automatically altered course to head for the coordinates.

"Starting to scan for Atlantis now." I said, as a screen appeared before us.

I have to admit that this whole thing with the ship knowing exactly what I was thinking of was a lot better than any other plane I had ever been in. Not that I had been in many, anyway.

The search took a good hour before we found something big enough to be Atlantis buried beneath the ice. "Found it." I said, opening my eyes.

"So how do we go about this?" my mother asked.

"It should be easy enough to transport directly into the city," I said, "but I'm not sure just what shape it's going to be in."

"What do you mean?"

I looked at mom, noticing the curiosity and concern in her expression. "Well, the city has been, in affect, asleep for thousands of years."

"But the presence of someone with the right genetic structure should wake it up again, right?" Daniel asked.

"Of course." I said, suppressing the sudden fear I felt. It would work. It had to.

"Ready?" Dad asked everyone.

"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c answered for everyone.

Taking a deep breath, I gave the computer the command to transport us straight to the lost city of Atlantis.


	13. The Lost City of Atlantis

**Chapter Thirteen:**

I stood and stared in wonder at the city around me. I was standing in the centre of what looked like the main square and glanced at all the buildings that speared upwards towards the dome of ice above us. They were tall and elegant, rather like spires on a fairytale castle and made from the same alloy as the stargate.

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. Atlantis was more beautiful than I had ever imagined.

"Wow." Daniel breathed beside me.

"Oh, yeah." Dad agreed.

I blinked and dragged my gaze away from the tall thin spires and the maze of balconies and corridors spiralling away from this centre square. I gazed around the square, frowning slightly. Something was wrong with this picture…

And then I had it. This square had once been an amazing garden. A place were you could come and sit and read or think or play. I blinked again as a remembered image danced before my eyes – except it was not my memory, but one that I had been gifted with.

"It's a garden." I said, walking forward, a smile growing on my face. "With large trees all around to sit under and soft grass beneath your feet and you can smell the scent of flowers in the air."

"The heart of Atlantis." Dad agreed.

I flashed him a grin. "Come on." I said.

"Where are we going?" my mother asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the city around us. "Do you know where the generator is?"

"Of course." I grinned. "But better than that, I'm going to show you the stargate!"

I walked quickly off to the right, twisting through the maze of corridors as if I had done it my entire life. I couldn't help but feel a sense of home as I walked through the halls. I felt the wonderment of those around me and stared at the rooms we passed with new eyes, suddenly seeing what they saw.

The corridors were paved with golden brown stone and the walls were a pale gold colour. But everything felt bright and airy as there were large windows throughout the city, overlooking nothing but the ice that surrounded us, but that had once stared out at wild blue ocean and deep green forests.

The doors to the rooms were large and ornate, just like I remembered, but had no handles as you did not need them. They would simply open as soon as you approached and tried to enter the room beyond. The rooms themselves were quite simple, with comfortable furniture and brightly coloured drapes. Bedrooms and meeting rooms passed by as I wound closer to my destination.

I caught Daniel's curious glance and smiled. "Atlantis was a communal city." I explained. "Everyone had there own rooms where they could seek privacy, but there were many 'lounge' rooms where they could meet with friends and neighbours."

"What about an infirmary?" Janet asked.

"Or the labs?" my mother added.

"The labs are two levels below this one, just beyond the living areas of the city." I answered. "As for the infirmary, we have two. Both are located at opposite directions to the other and are a short walk from the control room."

"Handy." Dad said.

"The city was built to exist in both war and peace." I told everyone. "They planned ahead, knowing that peace only lasts for so long."

"Only their enemy was disease." Mom said. "Something they couldn't fight."

"Indeed." Teal'c said.

We walked in silence for the rest of the way. I cannot say what the others were thinking, but I was thinking about the Ancients who had lived in the city before me. I felt not the sadness or emptiness that perhaps the others felt, but a sense of welcome and joy. This city had meant to be lived in and now we had come back to it.

"Here we are." I said, flicking a thought towards the door so it would open.

Well, it wasn't a thought exactly. Explaining just how I used Ancient technology was hard. It was true that Ancients had slight telepathic abilities, but that had very little to do with how their technology worked. It was simply keyed into their genetic structure so that it could read the intent of anyone who possessed it. Kind of like a door opening because it knew you wanted to walk through it. All you really had to do was direct your intent towards the object, rather like shifting you focus. It was hard to explain as what I did was more instinctual than conscious.

The control room, which is what I considered it to be, even though the Ancients called it another name, was a large and bright room in the centre of the city that stood high enough that it could look over the gardens below and catch glimpses of the view beyond – a view that, right now, was the dull glow of solid ice. A balcony was wrapped all the way around the outside, giving those who worked in the room a chance to smell the scent of flowers and salt on the air and take a moment to appreciate the life of the city as they worked.

"Wow." Janet said as she walked into the room.

"You should see what I can see." I told her. "I have memories of the city when it sat above a great forest and there was a beach just beyond it. You could walk out on that balcony and smell the ocean and feel the sun on your face."

I smiled in pure joy at the memory, which faded a little when I saw Janet's concerned look. I shook my head. "There isn't anything wrong with me, Janet." I said. "The Ancients shared memories with each other. It was why they where such good scientists. I'm just remembering the memories and thoughts that they though were important enough to encode into my DNA."

"Yeah." Dad said. "I remember it too, although some of the memories are rather fuzzy."

I shifted my gaze to the stargate which stood just in front of one of the windows. It was slightly different to the others, and looked more technological, if that description made any sense. Instead of the spinning ring inset into the stargate back in the SGC, this one simply lit up the right symbols as you dialled using the touch pad on the control panel.

In front of the stargate was a few steps leading up to where we stood, and there were three panels of controls facing towards the stargate. I sat down in front of the central control panel in one of the two chairs and grinned as I pressed a series of buttons. As everyone watched a flash of blue rippled across the underside of the ice dome as I activated the force shield that protected the city.

"Cool." Dad said, sitting down beside me in the second chair. "Want any help?"

"No, I'm good." I said, flashing him a teasing grin. "You got to fly the ship so I get to push the buttons now."

"Fine." Dad said, but he smiled at me anyway.

"How is there still power in here?" Mom asked. "It should have run out years ago!"

I turned to glance at where she was frowning at the ceiling. "The city is powered by five power sources." I said. "Besides, the city has the ability to shut itself down if it doesn't sense any sort of life for a period of time. So it's kind of been asleep for most of the time since the Ancients left."

"Handy." Dad said again.

I grinned and pushed a few more buttons. I frowned slightly as I worked, delicately trying to hook the Ancient's communications system into the same radio frequency used by the SGC. In front of me the gate sprang to life as I dialled the address for Earth. "This is Shannon Carter. Can anyone hear me?" I asked.

"Dr. Carter?" came the General's surprised voice. "What's going on?"

"We found the lost city of Atlantis, sir." I said. "Permission to activate the defences?"

"Permission granted with great relief, Dr. Carter." The General replied. "How long will it take for you to get them online? Anubis' fleet is almost here. We've got half an hour at most."

"We'll be ready by then." I said. "Carter out."

The stargate shut with its familiar sound and I got ready to wake up the city again. "How did you do that?" my mother asked. "And for that matter, how come we've never accidentally gated to Atlantis before now, just like we did with the second stargate?"

"You need a special address to dial Atlantis." I said. "It's different to the one for Earth."

Mom nodded. "Why is that?" she asked. "I mean, if Atlantis was always on Earth, why have a different address?"

I turned to grin at my mother. "Because Atlantis wasn't always on Earth."

"What?" Daniel and Janet said together as they turned around in surprise.

"I, too, am confused." Teal'c added.

I smiled and shot a look at Dad. He knew what I meant, even though it just seemed to be dawning on him. "Atlantis is the Ancient's equivalent of a space station." I said bluntly. "The force shield can trap the atmosphere so it can travel through space."

"It travels through space?" my mother echoed.

"Yeah, in theory." I agreed.

"Okay." Mom was obviously going to have to think about that. "So what do we need to do to get this place ready to battle Anubis?"

"I'm trying to power up all the systems, now." I said. "It shouldn't take a few minutes."

"And then?" my mother asked.

"We battle Anubis." Teal'c stated firmly.

"You got it, T." Dad agreed.

"How?" Daniel's quiet voice asked.

Dad shot me a glance, but I shrugged. I didn't know exactly how either, but I knew I would know as soon as I saw it. If that made any sense. "You'll see." I said instead.

"Systems powered up." I said after a long moment of silence.

"Take her out." Dad said.

"With great pleasure." I grinned, before pressing a large button in the panel.

At my touch, part of the control panel slid away to reveal what looked like a ball on a stick. I put my hands on it and focused my mind towards my purpose, making it easier for the city to pick up what I wanted it to do. With a loud groan, it slowly began to shake, as engines that hadn't been used in thousands of years started up.

Slowly we began to press upwards on the ice above us and I hoped the engines had enough power to break through – because if they didn't, we were in serious trouble. But I shouldn't have worried. After straining for a minute, the ice above us began to crack and break away.

Chunks of ice soon began to break away and fall, making the force shield glow blue with each impact. I gritted my teeth and sunk deeper into my mind, focusing all of my energy into willing the city to break free. Beside me, I felt more than saw my father tap a few buttons and help me steer this thing.

The cracking in the ice grew louder and wider as we pressed upwards, before suddenly it shattered all around us. With a sudden jolt, the city sprang upwards through the hole we had just made and burst onto the surface of Antarctica. I barely managed to slow the engines down in time to stop us flying all the way into orbit.

I let out a long, slow breath, trying to calm my nerves. "Man," I said, slumping backwards into my chair. "That was harder than I thought."

"No time for that now, Shan." Dad said, looking upwards towards the sky above. "Anubis is already here."

"Shit." I muttered.

I shot my father a look. "Danny, take the controls." He snapped, leaping out of the chair at the same moment I did.

"Me?" Daniel asked, somewhat bewildered.

"You possess the gene needed to operate Ancient technology." I explained. "No time to explain how we know. Just open your mind and focus on what you want to happen and it will happen."

Daniel looked shocked and surprised, but nodded. "Alright." He said, and sat down at the controls.

"Doc, stay with him." Dad said.

Almost as soon as Dad had finished, he was off, running down the corridors. I shot him a glance before taking off in the opposite direction. "Mom, stay with Dad!" I called as I left.

I didn't bother to wait to see if she would or not, but pushed myself harder, sprinting as fast as I could down corridor after corridor. No matter what I had thought before know, I had always believed we would have more time. I hoped that Anubis would take a moment to spot us – because we would need it.

Vaguely I heard footsteps echoing behind me and thought one of the others must be following me. But I paid them little attention. Right now I had to get to the south tower. And fast.

"Ah, guys?" Daniel's voice echoed through our radios. "Anubis has spotted us. We have a squadron of gliders coming straight for us."

"Copy that." I snapped into the radio as I ran.

I heard my mom also confirm she had heard the news before my dad's voice broke through. "Hey, Danny, you do realise the ship has a comm. system, don't you?" he asked, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Thanks, Jack," Daniel snapped, a slight trace of fear in his tone. "But know might not be the right time to play with alien technology."

"Actually, Daniel, now is the perfect time." Jack replied. "See if you can't raise the shields!"

At that moment I burst into the room I had been seeking. It seemed rather plain compared to all the other rooms we had seen, as the floor and walls were simply made from the same alloy as the outside walls and there was none of the usual decoration. It didn't matter, as the room only served one purpose – it was one of four defensive outpost located around Atlantis.

I ran to the reclining chair in the centre of the room and sat down. Swinging my legs up off the floor, I barely spared a second to get comfortable before I placed my hands on the arms and shut my eyes.

"I'm in." I said as images and numbers began to swirl in front of my shut eyes.

My words echoed around the ship as I unconsciously used the ship-wide comm. system. Within seconds I had linked my mind with the city's defence system and the images and numbers stopped their chaotic tumble through my mind.

"So am I." Dad said, also via the city's comm. system.

"Then let's do this." I said, bringing to mind the image of the glider squadron heading straight for Atlantis.

"How's the shield coming, Danny?" Dad asked.

"It's up…now." Daniel said.

I said nothing as I focused my attention on the coming gliders. As soon as they got in range I sent a thought straight to Dad. _Now_. Acting simultaneously, we both ordered Atlantis' weapons to open fire.


	14. Defending Earth

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Time seemed to loose all meaning. I can't really describe what it felt like to sit there, my mind linked with Atlantis' defence system. I would say it felt kind of like playing a video game, except it felt a whole more real than that. And I felt different, too. Like I wasn't just Shannon Carter anymore, but somehow I was part of the city at the same time.

But the feeling didn't really matter to me right now. As I followed the battle, the images flashing through my head, I noticed the wave upon wave of gliders coming straight for us. And I had to suppress a shudder of fear at the row of motherships orbiting behind them. There were so many…could we really defeat them all?

Yes, we could. The thought was not entirely mine, but I understood it all the same. We would defeat Anubis, because we could not fail. So we wouldn't. It was that simple.

I smiled as I shared my father's determination. I could not help but feel a slight sense of awe at the way he _never_ gave up. It was a rare and beautiful thing. Just like my dad.

_Start targeting those motherships_, Dad sent to me. _I'll take care of the gliders_.

I gave the equivalent of a mental nod and turned my focus towards the closest mothership, before opening fire once again. However, instead of bullets or Goa'uld-like weapons, glowing white lights shot out from Atlantis, twisting and moving towards their target. I could see them curving through the black of space as they raced towards the mothership.

And deceptively easily, the mothership exploded.

I say deceptively easily, because I knew just what this attack was costing Atlantis. After thousands – maybe even millions – of years under the ice in Antarctica, the city's energy sources had drained. Not enough to cause a serious problem, but enough to know that we could not withstand this attack forever. Not with the drain caused by Atlantis' weapons.

But then, what was life without a little challenge?

I moved my focus to the next mothership and opened fire again. By now, Anubis had realised what was going on and the motherships were beginning to move away from each other, making it harder for me to target them.

"Those gliders are getting awfully close!" Daniel's voice called out over the comm.

In response, I felt Dad switch his focus, targeting the nearest squadron of glider, and saw the weapons fire change course. But Anubis hadn't become what he was today without being smart. I saw the other glider squadrons change course, each one heading for a different area of the city, and I knew Dad wasn't going to be able to handle them all.

I broke off my attack of the motherships and covered the other side of the city to my father. I knew this was what Anubis wanted me to do, but I couldn't afford to let those squadrons near Atlantis. I had to protect the city – but more than that, I knew that they knew exactly where we were – and the minute they got close enough, we would be in serious trouble.

_Shannon!_ My father snapped in my mind. _Get those motherships!_

_I can't leave Atlantis open to attack!_ I snapped back.

I continued firing at the squadrons, driving them back and away from Atlantis, if only for a moment. As soon as I could, I refocused on the motherships, only to find they were up to something. Oh, man. This sucked.

Anubis really was a clever bastard.

The five remaining motherships that had been orbiting the planet only a moment before were now clustered together – which you'd think would make them easier to hit. But no. Anubis had built some sort of shield technology into them that seems to create an even more impressive shield when they were in close proximity to each other.

I fired at them, but my weapons barely dinted the shield. Damnit!

"I think we've got a problem." I said, using the comm.

"Ya think?" Dad snapped sarcastically.

Before anyone could say anything else, I saw another ship approaching from the left. Dad spotted it a second later. "What the hell..?" I heard him mutter.

"It's the _Prometheus_!" my mom called over the radio. "Don't shoot!"

The _Prometheus_? I avoided shooting the ship, telling the defence system that the ship was not a target and watched in detached amazement as the lights spun out of the way and around it.

As I watched in amazement, the hanger doors opened on the _Prometheus_ and a squadron of our own fighters flew out.

"Atlantis, this is Colonel Frederick of the _USS Prometheus_. We'll handle those gliders for you." A male voice boomed out over the radio.

"Copy that, _Prometheus_." My mother replied.

Once again, I focused my attention on the motherships, still huddled together behind their shield. Except now it looked like they were charging some sort of weapon. We had to do something!

_Together_, my dad's intent echoed through my mind.

Immediately I understood his idea. If we hit the ships together at the exact same point, we should have enough power to punch straight through the shield and do some damage to those motherships.

_Now!_

Together we fired, our minds both bent on the same task. I noticed absently as the _Prometheus'_ fighters gave the gliders a run for their money. It was nice to see that Earth wasn't as hopeless and defenceless as some people thought it was.

Take that Anubis!

We ain't so defenceless are we?

It was at that moment that, under our combined attack, we punched through the large defence shield surrounding the five motherships. A data table flashed before my eyes as I saw the weapon was fully charged.

Damn it! I wouldn't let them destroy Atlantis! Or Earth!

I focused my attention on blowing the weapon to smithereens, anger boiling through my blood at the sight of it. I had been angry before at Anubis' complete arrogance in his quest for knowledge. But now I was really pissed.

As if sensing my change in mood, Atlantis shifted. It wasn't a movement, but it was as if the consciousness that governed the city gave me that extra something that I needed to defeat Anubis.

I bursts of light coming from Atlantis' weapons increased in size and brightness, sailing true to their targets. I felt a surge in triumph as the motherships disappeared in a fiery explosion, followed by a slight feeling of guilt.

I had saved Earth from this attack, true. But it had cost lives, not all of them human.

"Yeah!" Daniel yelled. "We did it!"

Dad and I said nothing as we cleaned up the remaining gliders with the _Prometheus_. And then it was over.

With a feeling or great relief, I finally opened my eyes once more. The room was blurry and took a while to come back into focus. I tried to stand up from the chair, but as soon as I put my legs on the ground, they buckled. I couldn't believe how I tired I suddenly felt.

As I sank towards the floor, strong arms caught me around the shoulders and helped me stand. "Shannon, are you ill?" said a familiar deep voice.

Gratefully I turned to see Teal'c, realising he was the person that had followed me. "No, T." I said, my voice weak and hoarse. "Just really, really tired."

"Do you need medical assistance?" Teal'c asked, concern in his eyes.

"No, thanks." I said. "I just need to rest."

Nodding, he tightened his grip. "Do you wish to return to the others?" he asked me.

"Yes, please."

Teal'c nodded again. Then he surprised me, but simply gathering me up into his arms so I would not have to walk. Too tired to do anything, I smiled softly and rested my head against his shoulder. My eyes drifted shut as I struggled not to fall asleep.

I was jolted suddenly awake, when an alarmed voice called out, "Shannon!"

I realised that we were now back in the control room, and that Dad and Mom had also returned. Dad looked no better than I felt from where he sat slumped in a chair, his face pale.

I blinked as my mother ran up, her face worried. "I'm fine, mom." I said softly. "Just tired."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

Teal'c put me gently down in the chair beside my father. "Thanks, Teal'c." I told him. "I'm not sure I could have made it on my own."

He nodded his head slightly, before stepping back to stand beside my mother. It was then that Janet moved forward, her expression one of doctorly concern as she peered at us. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

"No." My dad smiled tiredly. "I just need to sleep for about a week."

"Are you sure?"

"Actually," I said sitting up. "There is something you can do."

"What is it?" Janet asked.

"Could you go to the infirmary and get me this?" As I spoke I reached out and touched the ball, triggering a hologram of the object I sought.

"Of course." Janet replied, but I could see the confusion on her face.

"It's a healing device." I said.

She fetched the device without another word, and brought it to me. "Thanks." I said, with a smile.

I gripped the smooth circular device in my hand, feeling it warm at my touch. As I continued to hold it, it made my palm tingle and chased away most of my feelings of exhaustion. I knew that it would not last for long and was more of a temporary fix, but it didn't matter. I doubted we had actually defeated Anubis in the battle and something told me this wasn't over yet.

After another minute, I handed the device to dad, feeling a lot better. It was at that moment that we received a transmission from the _Prometheus_.

"Dr. Carter, this is Colonel Frederick of the _USS Prometheus_. Do you read?"

"I read you loud and clear, Colonel." I replied into my radio.

"Thank goodness." The Colonel sighed. "Dr. Carter we have a problem."

"What is it?" I asked, immediately tense. I could feel everyone become alert around me as they, too, heard what Colonel Frederick had to say.

"Anubis sent several super soldiers through the gate as he attacked with his fleet." The Colonel said. "They've captured the SGC."

I gasped in surprise. Damn it!

"And Anubis?" I asked.

"We believe he might actually be with them."

I closed my eyes for a brief second. Oh, God.

"I understand, Colonel." I said, surprised at how calm my voice sounded, despite the turmoil I felt inside. "Colonel O'Neill and I will go through the gate to meet Anubis. You do whatever you have to."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Doctor?"

"This is my fight, Colonel. It is what I have to do."

My words were greeted with silence on both sides of the conversation. "Understood." Colonel Frederick said after a long moment.

I shot a glance at my father, and he nodded. He got up and started walked towards the stargate as I dialled the address for the SGC. I looked up in surprise as mom, Teal'c, Daniel and Janet all followed him.

As if catching my surprised look, my mother said, "It's not only your fight, Shan. We're all with you."

To my utter shock, I felt tears gather in my eyes. "I don't know what to say…" I began.

"You don't have to say anything. We're you family and we're not going to let you do this alone." Mom interrupted.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.

I smiled, my smile somewhat watery, at them as the wormhole engaged. "Then let's go."

And with my family standing close beside me, I walked froward and stepped through the event horizon.


	15. Back at the Base

**Chapter Fifteen:**

I stepped out of the wormhole onto the metal ramp in the SGC's gateroom. I looked around warily, alert for anything out of the ordinary and found it eerily quiet. What was going on? I had expected someone to notice our rather obvious entrance, but no one seemed to be around. And that made me really nervous.

"Where is everyone?" Daniel asked quietly.

"You'd think Anubis would be watching the gateroom." Sam added.

"He is." I said as a shiver of fear ran down my spine. "You can count on it."

I walked down the ramp and onto the concrete floor of the gateroom. Something told me to get out of there _now_. "We need to move." I snapped.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "There is a strange feeling here."

I glanced around the gateroom as I hurried out, the sense of nervousness in my gut growing. Not to mention that the eerie silence was really starting to freak me out!

"This doesn't make sense." Mom muttered. "The base would have gone under lock-down as soon as those soldiers entered. So where did everybody go?"

No one had an answer to that. "Man, this is really freaky." I said softly, wanting to break the oppressive silence.

"You can say that again." Daniel agreed.

Mom led the way up to the control room, knowing we should check the computers that controlled the gate. "I wonder how they got through the iris?" she asked herself.

"Anubis." Dad answered quietly. "As a half-ascended being he can pass through solid matter."

"Can _you_?" Janet asked Dad.

"I'm afraid not." Dad replied.

"We'll have a problem with bullets too." I said. "They'll pass right through him."

"That _will_ be a problem." Daniel blinked.

"But not yours." I stated firmly, trying to sound more confident than I really felt. "I'll deal with Anubis."

"No, Shan." Dad disagreed. "_We'll_ deal with him. The two of us are in this together." Then he shot a glance at my mother. "Of course, that means the super-soldiers are all yours."

Mom smiled faintly. "Great." She said dryly.

By now we were in the control room and mom nodded to Teal'c before turning to Dad. "Help guard the door, will you?" she said.

"Yes, ma'am." Dad replied.

Mom just raised an eyebrow and began typing away at the computer terminal. The situation seemed surreal to me as I stood there watching everything. I wasn't used to the teasing banter in the middle of a dangerous situation like my parents obviously were. Hell, I wasn't even used to dangerous situations!

The thought brought all my insecurities to the surface. What the hell was I thinking, doing this? Why wasn't I stuck in a lab somewhere filling out a stream of endless paperwork?

The answer was simple: because I was too much like my parents. Good to know that the compulsion to save the world was genetic.

"The computer system is fine." My mother said. "I can't find any evidence of tampering."

"When did they last dial out?" Dad asked.

Mom tapped a few keys. "The gate last dialled out around six hours ago for a routine mission of SG-3." She answered.

"Well, we can rule out mass evacuation." Dad said. "No one went to the alpha site."

"So _where_ is everyone?" Daniel asked.

"And where's Anubis?" Janet added.

I sighed. That's what we needed to find out.

"Daniel, Janet, stay here." Dad said. "If _anything _happens, get us on the radio."

"What are you doing, Jack?" Mom asked.

"Doing what we came here to do." He replied. "Finding Anubis and destroying him."

The Dad moved closer to me and studied my face. "Are you ready for this?" he asked softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I told him.

Dad smiled softly. "Don't worry." He said, before kissing me gently on the forehead. "We can do this."

I nodded. "Let's go." I said in a louder voice.

"Where to?" Mom asked.

"Well, where would you go if you were trying to protect the base from an attack?" I asked her.

"The lower levels." She said, not even needing to stop and think. "That's where the generator, infirmary and armouries are located."

"Then that's where everyone else will be." I said.

"It would explain why we can't here anything either." Daniel agreed. "These walls and floors are fairly thick."

"We'll head down the shafts." Dad said. "If anything happens to us, head to the alpha site." His last comment was aimed at Daniel and Janet.

"No." I said. "If anything happens to Dad or I, head back to Atlantis. The others will contact you there."

"Shannon…" my Dad began, but I shook my head.

"Atlantis can do more than the alpha site to stop Anubis." I said.

"But we don't have the address." Daniel pointed out.

Damn, I'd forgotten about that. But it was easy enough to fix. I was my mother's daughter, after all. I turned to the computer and input the address. Then I turned back. "Just press the button." I said.

"Won't they be able to follow us?" Janet asked.

"Probably." I said. "But they know where Atlantis is now anyway. Just don't let anyone through."

Daniel and Janet nodded as I began to follow Teal'c and my parents who were already moving out. Moving out. Damn, I was spending far to much time around the military. I was beginning to sound like a soldier!

"Good luck." Janet called out softly as I left.

I smiled softly at the concern in her voice and hoped we wouldn't need it.

* * *

We exited the maintenance shaft into an empty corridor. Fear and dread curled in my gut, making me feel slightly nauseous. We should hear something by now!

Then the muffled sound of weapons fire drifted down the corridor. I don't think I've ever been more relieved to hear the sound of gunfire before in my life as I was now. Both mom and dad took off running towards the sound as soon as they heard it. I was a beat behind them with Teal'c bringing up the rear – but I think that was more to with watching our backs than hesitation.

We burst around a corner and Teal'c immediately pushed me against the opposite wall and out of the way. Two energy bolts whizzed through the air where I had been a second before. "Thanks." I told Teal'c shakily.

He nodded his head slightly before moving off to where dad and mom were already firing at the super-soldiers. I glanced around me at all the soldiers, but noticed there was no one else. Then I spotted a familiar face.

"What's going on?" I asked Mac, pitching my voice to carry over the sounds of the battle as I crept up next to him.

I saw him jerk with shock, before turning surprised blue eyes in my direction. "Carter?" he asked incredulously.

"Hello, Major." I replied.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, dragging his eyes back to the battle and continuing to fire.

"It's a long story." I told him. "Where's everyone else?"

"Most of them are holed up in the infirmary, but Anubis has a few hostages." Mac told me.

"Where?" I asked, my tone hardening.

"One of the diplomatic rooms down the hall."

I nodded, my thoughts spinning. I had to get Anubis. I had to stop him!

I sent Dad a brief thought, trying to get him to understand what I was planning, before I shoved away from the wall. I saw Dad saying something to mom and Teal'c, before turning to glance at me.

_Are you sure you want to do this?_

_Yes._ I replied.

_Then go. I'll watch your back._

"Anubis!" I called, stepping out into the line of fire. "I'm the one that you want!"

"Carter!" Mac called out in anguish from behind me.

I ignored him and focused on the rippling air that solidified into a black cloaked figure. Except that, this time, he was no hologram. "Foolish child. You will not spare their lives." He said, his voice disembodied and cold.

I watched in horror as he raised his hands, suddenly glowing with a pale blue fire and sent two bolts of energy forward. One of them hit Teal'c in the chest, the other my mother.

"No!" I bellowed in pain and shock.

I raced to Teal'c, praying he wasn't dead. As I fell to my knees beside him, I noticed he was barely breathing. I spared a brief glance for mom and saw dad helping her. Closing my eyes, I prayed I had the strength to do what I was about to attempt. Without really realising it, I began to glow with a steady white light. It felt almost as if I had realised control on part of myself and I moved glowing hands over the gaping wound in Teal'c's chest.

I cannot really describe what happened next, only that it felt like I was pouring warm, tingly energy into Teal'c. I could feel the flesh beneath my hands knitting itself together. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes with a snap and sucked in a lung full of air. I saw Teal'c blinking up at me, his eyes filled with slight confusion and gratitude. I smiled softly at him in reply.

Anubis laughed cruelly. "Your attachment to these humans is quite amusing, Ancient." He said.

I tensed at his words and felt anger fill me. This _creature_ dared to mock me after trying to kill my family? Well, I'd make him pay for the pain he caused – both to me and to everyone else he had ever harmed.

I straightened to my feet, trying to hide the weary stagger as I did so. Healing someone took a lot of energy out of you, and I was already tired. I squared my shoulders before turning to face Anubis.

"They're my family." I said calmly. "I could do no less."

"What will you do if I harm them again?" Anubis asked, somewhat curiously. "Heal them once more? Your powers are not that great."

"You won't harm them again." I snapped.

Anubis laughed again, the sound eerie and full of brutality. "Do you really think you could defeat me? Your powers are feeble compared to mine!"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" I told him.

This hadn't been the original plan. Dad and I were supposed to take him on together, combining our strength. But he was weak after healing mom and I was just way too pissed off at Anubis to use any sense.

"Shannon, no!" Dad yelled as soon as he saw what I was doing.

But I didn't stop. I wouldn't stop. If I died, so be it. But Anubis was coming with me. I started forward, the glow around me intensifying until it was blinding. By the time I reached Anubis I was sprinting. I slammed into him, catching him and binding him to me with my energy so he could not escape.

And then we were gone.


	16. Battle with Anubis

**Chapter Sixteen:**

The intense white light faded and I found myself lying on a patch of soft green grass under a large tree. I sat up, completely bewildered. Hadn't I just been in the corridors of the SGC? And where exactly was this?

I got to me feet and walked out from under the tree. Surprisingly, nothing hurt. I had half expected for the world to start to spin as soon as I stood up, but nothing happened. And then I recognised where I was.

Well, damn.

It was Jack's house. _Dad's_ house. The house had I visited in my childhood. The house that had been sold two years after his death to a couple who had renovated it and painted it pink. And it wasn't pink now.

I wandered up the creaking steps to the porch and looked around. I couldn't see anyone, and that worried me. If I was here, then there was a good chance Anubis was too.

Something weird was going on here, and I had no idea about what it was. So I did the only thing I could think of to do and tried the front door. It opened as I twisted the handle and swung open. When I saw what was inside, I almost cried. This really was my Dad's house…everything was just like I remembered.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I remembered some of the things I had gotten up to here. And all of the sweets Dad had snuck me when Mom wasn't looking – and then joined me in eating.

"You cannot defeat me, child." A cruel and inhuman voice mocked from behind me.

I spun, my heart hammering loudly in my chest and saw Anubis standing in the doorway. "Anubis." I said, trying to keep my face expressionless. I couldn't afford to give him any advantage.

"You truly are weak and pitiful." He continued, looking around.

I looked around with him, now really confused and scared. What the hell was going on?

"Where are we?" I asked.

Anubis laughed cruelly. "Your weak mind." He said. "Somewhere you believe is safe. But I will remember this place so that I can wipe it from existence!"

"You're big on the whole "destruction" thing, aren't you?" I asked him. "But it doesn't matter. You can't destroy this place."

And he couldn't. My father's house was gone, only remembered by those who had been there. And it wasn't the house that was what I found safe about this place, anyway. It was what it represented. My family.

"And how are you going to stop me, _Ancient_?" Anubis sneered.

"I don't know yet." I answered truthfully. "But I'll think of something."

Anubis laughed cruelly. "You cannot stop me!"

As he was speaking, if you could call it that, anyway, he had begun to glow. I frowned at him, my scientific mind whirling as I tried to find some way to stop Anubis. "This is my mind, right?" I asked him.

"Your puny, defenceless mind." Anubis snapped, which I took to mean, 'Yes, it is.'

I had to smile as an idea came to me. "That means you're in my mind, doesn't it?" I didn't bother to wait for an answer. "I guess that also mean that I get to set the rules."

Anubis paused, his glow fading. "And that means rule number one: no superpowers." I said.

"You cannot do this!" Anubis roared.

"I think I just did." I said. "Hmm, rule number two: no insubstantial forms. You're made of flesh just like me."

I watched in amazement as Anubis' form began more outlined and heavy-looking. "Rule number three: no cloaks." I continued.

The cloak disappeared, revealing a dark-haired man with the swarthy skin that I'd come to associate with the Egyptian people. His eyes were coal-black and glittered with bitterness and cruelty. He didn't look like a man anyone would want to mess with. Except me, it seems. Oh, well.

"You truly defy me." Anubis said, his tone almost amazed. "No one has defied my in millennia. Not truly. Fear does not control you like it did them. Why?"

"Because I won't let you control me or destroy everything I care about." I said.

"You would sacrifice your very existence for this?" Anubis snapped.

"Yes. As the saying goes, I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees." Then I narrowed my eyes. "Stop trying to distract me. Rule number four: no alien technology."

"Enough of your petty games!" Anubis snarled.

"Rule number five: You're _human_." I snapped back.

"No!" Anubis bellowed. "You will pay for that, _Ancient_!"

He lunged forward towards me, knocking me off balance as I scrambled away. I stumbled and fell to my knees, jolting pain running up my legs from the impact. I tried to quickly stagger to my feet and get away, but Anbuis was too fast.

His hand shot out and grabbed my hair, pulling my backwards. I cried out in pain and frustration, the back of my scalp feeling as if it were on fire. "You are not even worth the effort it will take to kill you." Anubis growled.

"Then let me go." I said.

"No."

Anubis spun me around until I was staring into his eyes and the evil that was soul-deep – if he still possessed a soul, that is. "You will beg for mercy before I'm done." Anubis snarled in my face.

Then he leaned back slightly and backhanded me across the face. Pain exploded behind my eyes and half of my face felt numb from the force of the blow – until the numbness wore off and red-hot pain replaced it. Anubis hit me again and again, pain washing over my in blinding waves. Pain so intense that I found myself screaming.

Then my foggy brain remembered one of the self-defence lessons from the training camp. Dredging up every single ounce of strength I had left, I twisted my body and sent my legs kicking upwards. I rolled out of the way as my feet hit something soft. I heard Anubis grunt in pain and knew I had hit him.

I scrambled to my feet as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my chest and ran forward, trying to clear my head. I reached up a hand to my mouth as I did so and it came away sticky with blood. No wonder I hurt so much.

I heard Anubis getting up behind me as I dodged around a table. I had to get away from him! Every instinct I had was telling me to run somewhere – _anywhere_ – that would get me away from him. I surged forward, fear giving me new strength and dulling the pain a little.

"You can't run from me!" Anubis screamed from behind me.

His tone sent a shiver of fear down my spine. My eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. My hands found some books that were lying on a nearby table. I turned and hurled them at Anubis, pleased at the thumps they made when they hit him. I grabbed the lamp that had been beside them and threw it too. It shattered as it hit him.

I bit my lip as I looked around for more weapons. I needed something stronger if I was going to beat Anubis. "Your attempts will not stop me." Anubis snapped.

I glanced behind me at him and noticed with some relief that he was bleeding from where the shards of the lamp had cut him. It wasn't much, I know, but if he could bleed, then I could stop him.

I ran forward again, trying to put some more distance between us, but once again I wasn't quite fast enough. Anubis grabbed me from behind, before picking me up and throwing me against a wall. I slammed right into a mirror that was hanging there and my reflection distracted me for a moment as I took in my battered and bleeding image. And then I realised something – I was still wearing my BDU's.

And my Beretta.

Anubis picked me up again, this time slamming me against one of the bookcases. I grunted in pain. "See how weak you are?" Anubis whispered in my ear.

Using the last bit of my strength, I pushed away from the bookcase and spun, forcing Anubis to stumble backwards. Then I drew my Beretta with a shaking hand. I pulled the trigger before Anubis could regain his footing, sending him stumbling backwards again. The gunshot sounded loud in my ears and seemed to echo around the room. This was the first time I had ever used a gun on something other than a paper target and it scared me.

Anubis looked down at the blood blossoming on his chest with a sense of disbelief. Then he looked up at me with anger glittering in his eyes. "That will not stop me, little one."

Panic was beginning to grow in my mind so I shot him again. The force of the bullet made him stagger backwards – but he didn't fall. Tears of pain and fear were streaming down my face by now. I had to stop him. I couldn't take anymore. This time when I fired, I didn't stop until I heard the empty click that meant there were no more bullets left. I stood there staring at Anubis, shaking in fear and my breath coming out in short pants.

Anubis stared at me in shock before he crumpled to the floor. As I watched, his body began to fade until it was gone completely. "What..?" I began, my voice still hoarse from fear.

"Anubis is destroyed." Said a voice from behind me.

I spun, my heart pounding in my chest and tried not to panic. The words sunk in as I came face to face with Oma and three of the oldest Ancients standing behind me. "Well done, child." Oma spoke again.

"Indeed." A man with snow white hair and piercing blue eyes said. "You have done what we could not."

"So he's really gone?" I asked. "For good?"

"Oh, yes." Oma told me.

The white-haired man stepped forward, staring at me curiously. "I see strength, endurance and loyalty." He said. "Not only that, but I sense a strong ability to persevere."

I blinked in surprise at his words, unsure of how to reply to that. "I believe we have greatly underestimated humanity." The man continued. "And we are not the only ones."

"True." The silver-haired woman said from beside him. "Humanity has much to show us about the meaning of courage and determination."

The white-haired man nodded. "We have left the Universe in good hands." He said. "We will be watching over you, child, and will do all we can to help. You have shown us what we are lacking and what you are not."

I smiled at them, surprised at the tears gathering in my eyes. I had a sense of just how much it had cost them to admit that. "Thank you." I said. "More than I can say."

The man smiled softly, before inclining his head. "Now I think it is time to go." He said. "Your family is waiting."

As he spoke, a white light began to fill the room until it was almost blinding. And then it faded leaving me back where I had started – an empty corridor in the middle of the SGC.


	17. Invisible

**Chapter Seventeen:**

I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I gazed around me at the familiar sight. I was back! Anubis was destroyed. And even the pain had faded. I blinked as I raised a hand to my face. No blood! I checked my stomach and arms. No bruises! I laughed delightedly.

Still grinning, I half walked, half jogged down the corridor as I went to find my family. I decided to check mom's lab first, as she was almost always there. And she was, her blonde head bent over a piece of technology she was trying to figure out.

"Mom!" I called out, excited. "I'm back! And you'll never guess what happened."

I frowned slightly when she didn't seem to hear me, but I figured it was just because she was absorbed in whatever she was doing.

"Mom!" I called again, this time walking right up to her.

She looked up, but there was a worried look in her blue eyes. "Any change?" she asked.

Huh? What was she talking about?

"Not yet." I turned around to see dad standing in the doorway, the same worried expression mirrored in his eyes.

"Change in what?" I asked.

But neither of them seemed to hear me. Mom put down the pen she was holding and walked over to dad, right past me – and she didn't see me. I was getting a bad feeling about this.

"I'm just so worried, Jack." Mom said, stepping into dad's arms.

"I know." He said, hugging her to him. "I worried too. She shouldn't have had to face him alone. I should have been there with her."

"Jack…" mom began.

"I'm her father, Sammie. It's my job to protect her from danger, not be the reason she's facing it." Dad interrupted.

"It's _our_ job to protect her." Mom corrected. "And she'll pull though. She's a fighter."

I left them standing there in each other's arms, thoroughly confused. Just what exactly was going on? And why couldn't my parents see me? I frowned in puzzlement and decided to find answers to those questions somewhere else. Which is why I headed for the infirmary. Janet would know what was going on.

When I entered, I stumbled to a halt, completely shocked and bewildered at what I saw. It was _me_. I was lying in one of the beds, as pale as death and hooked up to about a zillion beeping machines. Daniel sat at my bedside, with Janet standing just behind him, her hand on his shoulder.

"She's just like her parents, you know." Daniel remarked suddenly. "She didn't even hesitate to take on Anubis. To save us. Just like Sam or Jack would."

Janet smiled slightly. "Yeah, although they're not the only ones who do that on a regular basis." She said. "She's a fighter too. She'll wake up Daniel, don't worry."

Daniel nodded, before getting up and placing a kiss on my forehead – or at least the me that was on the bed. This was just too weird. "See you soon, Shannon." He said and left.

Janet gave me (the one on the bed) a final glance and was about to leave when Mac stuck his head into the infirmary. "Can I come in, Doc?" he asked cautiously.

"Sure, Major." Janet said, faintly amused. "What can I do for you?"

"Umm, I was just wondering if I could see Dr. Carter for a moment." He said.

"Certainly." Janet said. "I was just leaving. I'll be back in about ten minutes to check on her."

"Thanks, Doc." Mac said, coming to sit on the chair beside my bed.

I wandered closer to the bed, coming to stand on the other side to Mac. I took a moment to study him as my confusion increased. How long exactly had I been in here? Mac looked slightly dishevelled (for a member of the military anyway) and had deep shadows under his eyes. He sat there for a long moment, obviously trying to say something and not sure how.

Then he reached over and took my hand. "Hey, Carter." He said.

I didn't bother to reply. It's not like he would have heard me, judging by my track record so far.

"You'd better wake up soon." He continued. "You're starting to scare everyone."

He paused. "You're scaring me, too." He added. "No one told me where you'd gone after you disappeared, so seeing you in the corridor was a shock. And then when you ran at Anubis…I think my heart stopped. I know it definitely did when I saw you just lying there after the flash. You weren't moving…"

Mac trailed off, obviously lost in his own thoughts. I wasn't sure what to think about his confession. His concern touched me, but I couldn't help the suspicion that there was more to it than that.

"Anyway, Carter." Mac said after a moment. "Wake up soon. This place isn't as fun without you around. And…and I miss you." He finished in a whisper.

I stood there, stunned – both at Mac's confession (which was still somewhat confusing) and everyone's inability to see me. "Just what is going on around here?" I asked out loud. "Why can't anyone see me?"

"It's complicated." Said a voice.

"Oma." I smiled in relief as she came to stand beside me.

I glanced at her and my smile grew. I was happy to see her, despite the circumstances. "Let's just say your conscious mind has become separated from your unconscious mind." Oma explained.

I blinked in surprise. "Okay." I said. This was so not what I had been expecting. "Is this going to happen every time I face one of them?"

Judging from the look on Oma's face, she knew exactly who I was talking about. Then she looked at me. "In theory? No." she said. "But then, it wasn't supposed to happen this time either."

"Then, why did it?" I asked.

"I don't know. Your mind was supposed to rejoin your body as soon as you were sent back."

"But it didn't."

"No." Oma agreed.

Then I snapped my fingers in realisation. "It's because they moved me!" I said.

When Oma looked at me curiously, I explained. "My body wasn't there when I was sent back, so there was nowhere for my mind to go." I laughed in relief. "It should be easy enough to fix then."

Oma just smiled at me, rather like a proud teacher. "I'll see you soon, I guess." I said.

"Indeed you will." Oma replied.

I nodded, before walking right up to the bed and sitting down on it. I swung my legs up and lay down. The only way I can describe what happened next was a faint feeling of sinking before I snapped open my eyes and found myself lying in the bed and hooked up to all the monitors.

I grinned and looked over to where Oma had been standing. I couldn't see anything but it didn't mean she wasn't there.

"Shannon!" Janet cried as she came bustling in.

"Hey, Doc." I said.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine." I replied. "So how about you unhook me from all these machines and let me get out of here?"

"Not so fast." Janet said. "You gave us quite a scare, so you're staying overnight for observation at least."

"Yes, Doc." I sighed, knowing there was no arguing with her.

In that moment, a whole crowd of people came rushing into the infirmary, all yelling something over the din. "Dr. Carter, how are you feeling?" the General asked.

"Shannon, you're awake!" Mom cried. "We were so worried."

"Shannon, I told you we would face him together, and I meant it!" Dad was saying.

"Hey, Shannon." Daniel said. "What exactly did you do back there?"

"I am glad to see you're awake, Shannon Carter." Teal'c greeted.

Family. You gotta love them. I took one look at everyone's face and couldn't help myself. I burst out laughing. Everyone stopped talking and stared at me in shock. "Sorry." I said after a minute. "I'm just glad to be back."

"Back from where?" the General asked.

I took a deep breath, prepared myself for all the questions and told them all about my latest adventure. Man, mom had really meant it when she said this place would change my life.

* * *

I yawned as I came awake in the blissful peace and quiet of the infirmary. Janet had finally kicked everyone out about an hour ago and I had been drifting sleepily ever since. Of course, everyone had promised to come and see me again tomorrow, no doubt with everyone who hadn't been here today. I was going to have to stop waking up in the infirmary so much.

"Are you still awake, Shannon?" Janet asked quietly as she walked over.

"Barely." I told her. "Why?"

"Because there's a certain Major wearing a hole in the floor outside the infirmary." Janet said. "And it might be best if you had a chat with him before he gets himself into trouble."

"Mac's here?" I asked.

Janet chuckled softly. "Does that mean he can come in?" she asked.

"I…" I began and then remembered the confession I had heard earlier – the one I don't think I was supposed to have heard. "Umm…"

Janet grinned and moved closer to my bed, taking a seat in the chair that was always there. "I see you've noticed then."

"Noticed what?" I asked.

"That the boy is crazy about you." Janet grinned.

"No way. We're just good friends, that's all." Oh, no. This was not happening to me! My life was just getting back to some semblance of normality!

"Oh, he is." Janet disagreed. "He's been hovering around the infirmary with a distraught look on her face ever since you were brought in."

"He has?"

"Oh, yeah." Janet nodded. "So, how do _you_ feel about our friend, Major Mackenzie?"

"Janet!" I hissed. "Stop grinning at me like that. He's just a friend."

"Are you sure?"

Was I? "Oh, I don't know!" I snapped. "There was a time, not long ago I was entertaining thoughts about someone else."

"And now?"

Now? I sighed. "I really don't know."

Janet nodded and stood up again. "Well, I'll send him in anyway. Just to stop all the pacing." Then she winked at me.

What was up with Janet? She was acting like some sort of match-making fairy godmother. Oh, God. Please tell me that wasn't what it was.

"Hey, Carter." Mac's soft greeting brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, Mac." I said.

"Not long, Major." Janet warned. "Shannon needs to get some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am." Mac replied.

Mac waited for Janet to disappear again (although I could guarantee she hadn't gone far) and came to sit down beside my bed. I couldn't help but feel slightly awkward as I was reminded of the scene earlier.

"How are you feeling?" Mac asked.

"Better than everyone thinks." I replied. "I keep telling everyone I'm fine."

"But the Doc just wants to keep you here, huh?" Mac grinned.

"Yeah." I muttered. "And run God knows how many tests on me!"

"Sounds like the Doc." Mac agreed.

"So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?" I asked.

Mac smiled at me. "Well, we were assigned a temporary fourth member until you got back and Scott has been driving him made with her incessant talking."

I chuckled softly. "Sounds like Lizzie." I said. "I haven't seen her today though. Do you know where she is?"

"She's off-world until tomorrow. She went off with one of those archaeological teams to look as some important rocks." Mac said. "Although, considering the amount of people in here today, she might not have been able to get in."

"I did seem to be more popular than I thought." I said.

There was a moment of silence, before Mac spoke again. "So, is it really true?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you really an Ancient?"

"Technically, yeah." I said. "I have some cool new party tricks, but other than that I'm still the same I always was."

"Party tricks, huh?" Mac smiled.

I smiled back, happy he was accepting this whole thing so easily. I had expected a little awkwardness in the beginning, but the simple acceptance was a nice surprise. "Yep. I can glow." I said. Then I spared a quick glance, but Janet was nowhere in sight. "And I can do this."

As Mac watched in astonishment, I made a pen on a nearby table rise up and float through the air. "Wow." He said. "Do the other Ancients know what they've gotten themselves into by letting you have these new tricks?"

"I think they're beginning to get the idea." I grinned as I put the pen back on the desk.

"All right you two, time's up." Janet said, walking back over to us. "Shannon needs her sleep."

"Okay, Doc." Mac said. "See you later, Carter."

"Seeya, Mac." I replied.

Then Mac shocked my by leaning over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. Blushing a little, he nodded to Janet and quickly left the infirmary. How was it possible that Mac's little kiss on the cheek was nicer than a kiss on the lips from Alec? I couldn't help but compare the little tingles I felt now to those that I had felt at the airport so long ago.

Could someone really like two guys at once? And Mac was my commanding officer of all things! I wasn't held back by any military regulations or anything, but I worked with him! Man, why was my life so complicated?

I looked at Janet, who was watching me with a grin on her face. "What?" I snapped.

"I didn't say anything." She said.

"You were thinking it." I replied.

She laughed. "True. But just think of it this way, Shan." She said, something of what I was thinking obviously having shown on my face. "Tomorrow's a new day – deal with it then."

"Good idea, Doc." I said. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Janet chuckled again as she left, leaving me to my thoughts as I tried to get some sleep.


	18. Gossip

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken so long! Unfortunately, I had a whole lot of exams and I've spent a long, long time studying for them. Hopefully this chapter might make up for that!

Cheeky.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen:**

I yawned slightly as I peered at my computer screen. I blinked a little and kept typing. Hopefully my report would be done soon. There was just so much I had to add, and it was getting to be epic in length – sort of a novel on its own.

Before I could add more to it though, my phone rang. I can't say I minded the interruption. "Carter." I answered.

"Ma'am, you have a call from the outside." A voice told me. "Would you like it put through?"

"Who is it?" I asked.

"A woman called Jessica Mitchell."

Jessie was calling? "Oh, put her through."

"Shannon?" Jessie asked after there was a click in the line.

"Hey, Jessie." I greeted warmly, happy to hear from her. "How are you?"

"Oh, good, good." Jessie said absently. "I happy to get hold of you, you know. Where have been for the past month? All the people at this base keep telling me it that you were un-contactable. Even your mother wouldn't tell me where you were!"

I chuckled softly and remembered my cover story. "I was out in the field, if you must know." I said. "Collecting data."

"Whatever." Jessie said. "I'm not going to ask what data, because you have the potential to bore me to death, no offence. You know astrophysics just isn't my thing."

I laughed. "Yeah, I know."

"So…" Jessie said after a moment. "Any cute military officers at that base of yours?"

"One or two." I said, knowing she was about to pump me for details.

But then when the questions didn't come, I got worried. "You're not going to ask what they look like?" I asked.

"Oh, sure." Jessie said, but she sounded tense and distracted.

"Jessie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really." Jessie said. "Just a little distracted today."

"Jessie." I said firmly. "Something's wrong. What is it?"

"I so did not want to do this on the phone, okay?" Jessie said. From her tone of voice I could almost see her gnawing on her lip like she did when she was nervous. "You are going to hate me."

"What, have you still got my favourite boots or something?" I said. "Whatever it is, don't sweat it. If I haven't missed it by now, you're safe."

"It's not that." Jessie said. "It's about Alec."

"What's up with him?" I asked, confused and beginning to realise something _really_ was up. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Jessie said. Then she paused and took a deep breath. "We were really, really drunk, okay? And I know that's not much of an excuse, but we were. And I'm sorry, but I kinda like him, so I didn't stop him and then it was too late…and then I realised and…and…" Jessie babbled.

"Jessie, what happened?"

"I slept with Alec." She said in a rush.

There was a tense silence and I could see Jessie on the other end of the phone, cringing. She sounded so upset and guilty. And, despite the problem, compared to what I had been facing lately, this wasn't all that serious. Besides, I hadn't though about Alec in weeks. I've always been a firm believer that if you really care about someone, they'll always be in your mind. Guess that's thanks to my parents.

"Oh, Jessie." I said. "That's okay."

"What?" she snapped on the other side of the phone. "Aren't you supposed to yell at me or something? Tell me you hate me? You should, I'm an awful friend."

"I think you feel guilty enough for the both of us." I said. "Besides, I'm not sure I like Alec that way anymore. It, I don't know, feels kind of like I've gotten over a crush. Kinda nice, but never serious."

"So you don't hate me?"

I laughed softly. "No, I don't hate you Jessie. But can I ask you a question?"

"Anything." She said it with such feeling that I couldn't help but smile. "Do you really, really like him?"

Jessie let out a breath in surprise at the question. "Yeah." She breathed. "Really, really."

"And does he like you?"

"Yeah, I think he does."

"Then we don't have a problem." I said. "Although, I will get some of my friends to help beat him up if he cheats on you." I added, somewhat jokingly.

There was a brief silence as my words sank in. "So, we're still friends?" Jessie asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." I said. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

"Oh, I promise!" Jessie blurted out quickly. Then she paused. "You know, Shan? You really are amazing."

"Thanks." I said, not sure of what else to say. If only she knew the truth.

"You get any vacation time up there?" Jessie asked after a moment.

I thought it over. "Probably not for a while. There's kind of this big project that I'm working on."

"Oh, no problem. I've got exams soon anyway." Jessie replied. "But I'll come up and see you as soon as I can, okay?"

"I'll hold you to that." I said. "And don't be scared to call!"

"I won't." Jessie said. "I guess I'll talk to you soon then."

"Definitely."

"Bye Shan."

"See you Jessie."

I put the phone down and couldn't help but laugh softly. I know it's a weird response, but I felt more amused by the conversation than upset. "What's so funny?" asked a voice from the doorway.

"Normality." I replied. "Although, I am beginning to feel a bit like I'm living in a soap opera."

"Yeah?" Beth said, coming over and flopping into a chair next to mine.

"Well, my father came back after everyone thought he was dead, I discovered I'm half alien and I just discovered one of my best friends has slept with the other one." I said.

Beth laughed. "You call that normal?"

"It's more normal than fighting body-snatching aliens everyday and travelling through wormholes!"

"True." Beth agreed. "What ever happened to that guy you were seeing?"

"Who, Alec?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Beth answered. "You going to go see him, or what?"

"Well you see, that's the thing." I said. "He's kind of the guy that my friend was sleeping with."

"What?" Beth snapped. "Are you for real?"

I grinned. "Yep. I'm not upset much or anything, though. I'm not sure I ever liked him that way."

Beth shook her head. "Only you, Carter." She said.

I raised an eyebrow, but she just grinned unrepentantly at me. "So, how's your love life then?" I asked.

"My love life?" Beth echoed. Then she gave a reproachful look. "You'd know the answer to that if you hadn't been off gallivanting for a whole month."

"Sorry." I said, still grinning widely. "I'll try not to do it again. Now spill."

"I'm sort of going out with Dr. Malone. Conner was on that training camp with us."

"The other archaeologist? Of course." I replied. "How long has this been going on?"

"Just under two weeks. We went on our third date last night."

"Is it serious?"

Beth blushed. "I think so." She said. "I've been floating on a cloud for days."

"That's great." I said. "But I thought you liked Mac?"

"Mac?" Beth looked at me in surprise. "Nah. I mean, he's gorgeous and everything, but…he's just a friend."

Then Beth blinked. "Oh, you'll never guess what happened!"

"What?"

"You know Miles? Dr. King, the chemist?" Beth asked me, but she didn't stop long enough for an answer. "Well, he's just gotten together with Brian. You know, Dr. Singer?"

"You're kidding!"

"No! I didn't even know he was gay until he told me. I always thought he was keen on one of the nurses!"

I laughed. "Dude, I'm not going away again! You miss out on way too much gossip!"

"Well, I've got some gossip you might want to hear." Said another voice.

I looked up to see Daniel walking into my office. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But is Miles really going out with Dr. Singer?"

"Uh huh." Beth nodded. "I caught them necking in his lab."

"Huh." Daniel said. "Go figure."

Then he pulled a chair over and sat down. "You can't spread this around, okay?"

"They won't hear it from me." I said.

"Me either." Beth added.

"Well, I think Jack is going to ask Sam to marry him."

"No way!" Beth exclaimed.

"You'd think they'd come and talk to me!" I said. "I haven't heard a word!"

"Well, if what I think is true, you can probably expect something soon!" Daniel said excitedly.

"Really?" I asked, a warm feeling blossoming in my chest. Were my parents going to get married? This would be perfect for me – and I loved the idea that they still loved each other enough for that. Although, considering their commitment to each other anyway, the actual marriage part was probably more like icing on the cake.

"Yep."

"This is so cool!" Beth exclaimed.

Before I could say anything else, however, my phone rang again. I picked it up. "Carter." I answered.

"Dr. Carter, I was wondering if I could have a word." The General said on the other end.

"Sure." I said. "I'll be right there."

"Good." The General replied. "By the way, have you seen Doctor Jackson? I wanted to talk to him as well."

"Oh, he's here with me. I'll tell him."

"Great. See you soon, Doctor."

"Will do, General." I said and put the phone down.

"Sorry guys." I said to Beth and Daniel. "Gossip time is over for now. The General wants to see me and Doctor Jackson."

"Well, I guess I should get back to work. I'll come and see you later, okay?" Beth told me.

"Definitely." I said.

We all left the room together, with Beth turning in the opposite direction to walk towards the archaeology labs. As she disappeared around a corner, Daniel turned to me. "Did the General say what it was that he wanted to see us about?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not." I said. "But it should prove to be interesting, given our track record."

Daniel chuckled. "You make it sound like its fun all the time."

"Well, I don't know about you…" I teased.

"God, you sound just like your mother when you say that." Daniel groaned. "I swear, sometimes, I don't know who was worse – Jack or Sam. They both had that same urge to get into trouble just to see if they could get back out again."

"You make them sound like children."

Daniel just looked at me. I laughed. "Okay, Dad maybe. But can you really describe mom as a child?"

"Oh, yeah." Daniel said after we entered the briefing room and catching my mother poking her tongue out at my father. Way to make a point, mom.

Daniel and I shared an amused laugh before we both burst out laughing. "What?" Dad asked. "Is there something amusing here?"

"Perhaps they have seen you recent behaviour." Teal'c said.

I grinned. "Private joke." I told them.

Before Dad could ask for anymore details, however, the General walked in. He looked slightly harassed and tired, as if he had been wrestling with a large problem all morning. "I'm glad to see you all." He said. "We've got a problem."

"Another one?" Dad asked.

The General just gave him a look that didn't need words. Wisely, Dad kept any future wit to himself. "Certain people are getting rather curious about the large city we now have sitting on the Antarctican continent – especially since it magically appeared only recently."

"Oh." I said. "I forgot about that."

"I thought you might have." The General said with a small smile. "No need to apologise either, Dr. Carter." He interrupted as I opened my mouth. "I can't say it was the most important thing on my mind either."

"So what are we going to do about it?" mom asked.

"That's where I thought you could help." The General said.

Everyone turned around to look at Dad and me. I turned to look at him myself. "What do you think?" I asked, already having thought of a suggestion and knowing dad would have thought of it too.

"We'll need more fuel." He said. "But I think I know where to find another cell."

We both turned back to the others and smiled sheepishly as Daniel asked dryly, "Anyone care to fill the rest of us in?"

"Sorry." I said.

"So?" Mom asked.

"We move the city." I said. "But not on Earth. We put it on the alpha site."

"That way it will be close enough to help defend Earth if we need it to, but be somewhere no prying eyes can find it." Dad explained.

"But won't that leave Earth vulnerable?" The General asked.

"A little." I answered truthfully. "But I have a plan for that. I know of a planetary defence system that could be built quite easily given our current resources that should take care of that problem."

"How long would it take?" the General asked.

"Three months." I said. "Baal won't be back for at least that long considering the losses his army took in the latest attack and Anubis is gone."

The General nodded thoughtfully. Then he smiled. "You have a go." He said.


	19. Fuel cell

**Chapter Nineteen:**

I stepped out of the gate and shook my head, trying to shake the feeling of cold. It never ceased to amaze me that you still felt the same numbing feeling not matter how many times you travel through the wormhole.

"So where are we headed?" Daniel asked as the wormhole disengaged behind us.

"I'm not exactly sure." Dad replied. "Shannon?"

"West." I said. "It should be on the other side of that forest."

"Let's go then." Dad said, already striding forward.

I nodded and followed him, knowing I should probably be in the lead so I could watch out for the ruins we were searching for. I was gradually getting used to having someone else's memories – it was rather like having a movie played in your head. You could recognise the things you saw, but you had never been there or done those things.

"Hey, Shan, can I have a word with you?" Dad asked after a couple of minutes.

"Sure, Dad." I said. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm not really sure how to say this…" he began.

Oh my God. Was he going to say what I thought he was?

"…but, here goes: I'm sorry I dragged you into all this. I will never ever regret having you as my daughter, but…I can't help but feel guilty that you've had to take on so much responsibility because of me."

Woah. Sooo not what I was expecting.

"What are you talking about Dad?" I asked. "Is this about that whole Ancient thing?"

Dad grimaced slightly. "Yeah. I mean, what kind of father condemns a child to a life of protecting the Universe?"

"I would have done it anyway." I pointed out dryly. "I mean, it was only a matter of time before I got involved in the Stargate Programme. And, in case you haven't notice, that's kind of our job."

"I still feel bad."

"Don't, Dad." I said, giving him a hug. "Besides, I can do some really cool stuff now. Like glow and get myself a cup of coffee without even getting up."

"What?" Dad looked at me in surprise.

"You mean Janet hasn't told you yet?" I asked. "Apparently, I've got powers of telekinesis…which is just a fancy way of saying I can move objects with my mind. According to Janet, they should get stronger in time as my body adjusts to my awakened genetic material."

"Wow." He said. "Wish I could do that."

"You probably could." I said. "I'll teach you."

Dad gave me an amused glance. "Oh, you will, will you?"

"Of course." I replied with a grin. "Who else would?"

I laughed as he playfully hit me on the shoulder. Then I looked at him, and felt a teasing grin spread across my face. "Anyway, that's not exactly what I was expecting when you asked to have a word, you know."

At my words, Dad actually blushed! "Oh." He said softly.

"Oh my God!" I crowed. "You _are_ thinking about it, aren't you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dad said.

"Well, it's okay with me." I whispered as mom walked up.

Dad blushed a little more, before clearing his throat and sending a glare in my direction. I just laughed. "What's going on up here?" mom asked. "Have you found the ruins yet?"

"No, sorry." I said. "I think we've still got about another ten to fifteen minute walk."

Mom nodded. "Okay." She said.

I hung back a little, until I noticed Daniel's amused expression. "You know what?" I said. "I think I'm going to go and annoy Uncle Danny for a bit."

Dad shot me an annoyed glance at my not-so-subtle exit. Well, at least to him. Mom didn't look like she had a clue. "Just call me when we reach the edge of the trees." I said.

I drifted back to talk with Daniel who was walking beside Teal'c. "Hey T." I said. "Hey Danny."

"Leaving them alone, are you Shan?" Daniel asked with a grin.

"Who me?" I asked, grinning back.

"Indeed." Teal'c said. "I do believe you are trying to give O'Neill and Colonel Carter a moment alone."

"You know too?" I asked Teal'c.

"If you are referring to the imminent proposal of marriage from your father to your mother," Teal'c said. "Then yes, I know to which you are referring."

I turned to Daniel. "Did you tell him?" Teal'c was known for his uncanny ability to find out what was going on around the base (or mom's house when he came to visit!) without anyone having to tell him.

"I may have mentioned it." Daniel grinned. "So did he ask you?"

"Nope." I said. "But I did ask him."

"And how did O'Neill reply?" Teal'c asked.

"He blushed!" I said. "Dad actually blushed! But he never actually came out and said it. I told him I didn't mind, though."

Daniel laughed. "You didn't!"

"I did." I said.

However, before Daniel and I could share more than conspiring grin, that dad called out from in front. "Shan, we've reached the edge of the trees!"

"Coming!" I called back.

I jogged to where Dad and Mom stood a little way off. I looked around at the rolling hills that rose up towards the sky and closed my eyes, bringing my shared memory into my mind. "Up this way." I said, heading to the left. "We should see it up the top of this hill."

"Any idea what this fuel cell looks like?" Mom asked.

"Yeah." I told her. "Kind of like a large crystal, but covered in a metallic kind of case."

"Right." Mom said.

We all faithfully trekked up the hill at my lead, and I was glad that this planet had a cool breeze. It was a relief after all the walking. We soon found the ruins on the flat top, what was left of the marble gleaming in the sunlight.

What had once been a beautiful and breathtaking marble temple was now a series of slightly crumbling arches surrounding an elaborate altar. Just by looking at it you could tell it had once been an awesome structure. Even now it still held a haunting beauty that made you stop and stare.

"Amazing." Daniel said reverently.

"The Ancients were indeed gifted builders." Teal'c agreed.

I nodded, a soft smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "You should have seen it just after it was built." I said. "The walls glowed silver in the moonlight."

We all stared for a few moments longer, before Dad broke the silence. "Come on, we should find the fuel cell." He said. "Any ideas, Shan?"

"I think its set into the altar or something." I said. "I'm just not sure how."

I walked forward, heading towards the centre of the ruins where the altar stood. The marble altar was covered in a layer of grime, but I could see the intricate designs that decorated its surface. I trailed my fingers over it, searching for a clue. A second later I felt Mom and Daniel crouch down beside me.

The three of us gazed over the altar for about an hour, trying to find the fuel cell. Dad, unfortunately, couldn't help anymore than I could, so after a while he wandered off to help Teal'c keep watch.

"I don't understand!" I snapped. "It should be here somewhere!"

"Could someone else have taken it?" Daniel asked.

"It's possible." I replied. "But I doubt it."

"Then where is it?" Mom asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

I sighed. Then I blinked. "Let me try something." I said. "It could help, or it could be a complete waste of time."

"I think anything would help right now." Daniel said dryly.

Reaching out, I put my palm flat against the top of the altar and closed my eyes. I stretched out my senses and delved into the part of me that controlled my Ancient abilities. Breathing slowly and deeply, I sort of _pushed_ some of that… energy towards the altar. I heard a soft gasp beside me and a grinding noise, before Mom put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a gentle shake.

I blinked open my eyes and stared in amazement. The bottom section of the altar had slid open to reveal a small chamber and a hand-sized crystal, which could only be the fuel cell. "Cool." I said.

"Very." Daniel agreed. "You were glowing."

"Oh." I blushed slightly. "Sorry."

Mom shook her head and tried to smile. "Its okay, Shan." She said. "It's just a little weird still."

I nodded and was about to say something else, when Dad walked over. "We've got company." He said.

"Friendly?" Mom asked.

"No." Dad replied. "It's a Descended One and what looks like his bodyguards."

Damn. I suppressed a shiver of fear and glanced at Daniel. "Take the fuel cell and get it back to the SGC as soon as possible." I told him.

He nodded as I stood. "Be careful." Mom said, also standing. "Both of you."

"We will." I said.

Dad and I walked to the edge of the hilltop, where we could see a group of armed men climbing the hill. Their weapons were varied, although many of them appeared to be Goa'uld. The men were not Jaffa, however. The shimmer of air in the centre of the group showed where the Descended One was.

I took a deep breath to calm my sudden nerves. "He's weak." Dad said softly. "He won't fight as hard as Anubis. Beside, this time I'm here."

I smiled. "I know. You always are when I need you."

We were still standing there, waiting, the men finally saw us. There was a chorus of shouts, but I ignored them. I focused my attention on the now shimmering figure in the centre of the group instead. Letting my powers grow, I felt myself begin to glow softly, just as my father did beside me.

"Ancients!" The Descended One snarled in a hollow voice. "So you have finally come for me."

Gunfire began to echo as Mom, Teal'c and Daniel dealt with the armed men.

"Yes." I said simply. "We have."

Dad and I reached out and clasped hands, our glows intensifying. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, before opening them again. Once again, I found myself in familiar surroundings. "Hey, it's my old place!" Dad said with a grin.

"Prepare to die Ancients!" A hollow voice called from behind us.

"Yeah, it is." I told Dad, before turning to the Descended One. "We have some ground rules here."

Just like Anubis, the Descended One seemed baffled and annoyed by my constraints, but arrogant enough not to care too much. "Ground rules, Shan?" Dad asked as we warily circled each other.

"It seemed to make sense last time." I said, a little defensively. "You got a better idea?"

"Yes, you can die!" The Descended One yelled.

"How about no?" Dad snapped.

The battle didn't take long, because as Dad had said, the Descended One was weak. He had spent too long away from his kind. Although, I have to say that Dad had made it easier by helping.

I opened my eyes, suddenly coming back to myself from wherever we had gone and sagged to my knees. Dad swayed where he stood, until Mom and Daniel jogged up to support him. Teal'c's strong arm helped me to my feet. "Where'd everyone go?" I asked softly, noticing the lack of armed men.

"They got a little scared when the two of you started glowing." Mom answered with a grin.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "I do not think they will be back."

"Good." Dad said tiredly. "Let's go home."


	20. Proposal

**Chapter Twenty:**

I smiled softly as the breeze ruffled my blonde hair. It had grown over the last couple of months and now hung about an inch below my shoulders. I had to admit I kind of liked it that way. The sun was warm and the scent of wildflowers hung in the air. I gazed down the beach from the balcony on which I stood, and caught sight of the white sand and blew ocean. You could even smell the salt on the air.

I felt the slight droplets of sea on the wind and could smelt the salt in the air. I smiled as I continued to gaze out over the beach below me. The sea was a beautiful deep blue and the sand was golden. With the green of the trees coming right down to the edge of the beach, this truly was a paradise. Finding a place for the Lost City of Atlantis like this less that half an hours walk from the Alpha Site had been perfect, and now Atlantis finally had a home.

It has been a busy four months since we found the fuel cell for the city, and I had not been here as often as I had liked. Don't get me wrong, I still had a home on Earth and always would consider it that way – after all, I had been born and raised there – but Atlantis was also my home now, and I missed it when I wasn't there. I finally had permission from the government to use Atlantis as my home base, as it were. It made things easier, as I was still classified as an alien diplomat due to the role I had to play for the Ancients.

On the up side, the SGC would soon be sending a team of scientists and an armed escort to the city to help get the systems up and running again, as well as study any knowledge it might give, so I would soon have some company. Dad was also going to use this as his base, as were the others like him, but Dad spent most of his time at the SGC and the others were still at home with their families. After so much time apart, I couldn't drag them away unless they were desperately needed.

Earth now had a Global Defence System, and along with the new fleet of space-going ships they were developing, we could now take most things that the Goa'uld could throw at us – baring a full scale war, of course. Atlantis was within defensible range too, so we shouldn't have a problem. It was nice to know that we didn't need to rely so heavily on our allies anymore. Earth could finally hold its head high – because we not only defeated more System Lords than anyone else in a long time, but we could now defend ourselves. Apparently, the Tok'ra were very interested in procuring some of our new technology, which had Dad crowing. He hasn't been very fond of the Tok'ra ever since they turned their backs on us a long time ago.

I don't really care much about that, though. The petty rivalry between the Tok'ra and SGC could be sorted out by someone else. I had bigger problems to deal with – although none at the moment. I had seen no evidence of a Descended One in this part of the galaxy for a long time, which probably meant we would have to go looking for them soon. I was just content to enjoy life at the moment – and life was good.

Dad had finally proposed to Mom about two weeks ago and everyone was delighted. They seem to be really happy, and I'm over the moon of course! No one has the heart to tell them that about half the SGC witnessed the proposal, but I suppose it will all come out soon. I think Daniel might even be saving it for his wedding speech. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered the unique event. Just like some of my memories from childhood, I had witnessed a side of my parents that I didn't see that often – their tenderness and such obvious love unhidden. I guess after hiding it so long, there are some things that take time to show.

* * *

"_For crying out loud!" Dad snapped loudly. "I'm fine!"_

_I shared a knowing grin with Janet from where I sat next to my father's bed in the infirmary. "Sure you are, Dad." I said._

"_You were not fine ten minutes ago, Jack." Daniel tried to soothe an annoyed Jack. "You couldn't walk!"_

"_Indeed." Teal'c agreed._

"_It's just a tiny sprain." Dad grumbled. "Nothing to get carried away about."_

"_That's for me to decide, Colonel." Janet told him firmly, still examining his swollen ankle. I smiled at the absently used rank, even though Dad was officially retired and classified alien diplomat (like me)._

"_Fine." Dad said somewhat sourly. "But what am I going to do for the next ten hours?"_

"_I'm sure you'll think of something." Janet said. "Although, if I catch you harassing the nurses, I'll sedate you."_

_I grinned at the threat. Dad could be a little bit of a pain when he was cooped up to long. "How about cards?" I suggested, pulled a pack of cards out of my pocket._

_Dad looked at me consideringly. "Go Fish?" he asked._

"_Sure." I agreed easily. "Why not?"_

"_I, too, shall join you." Teal'c added._

_So that was how Daniel, Janet, Teal'c, Dad and I all found ourselves playing a tournament of Go Fish in the middle of the infirmary on a Friday evening. No one really considered just leaving Dad there, and it's not like I really had a life or anything. I mean, all my friends were either in another state or worked at the SGC just like me – and were probably off-world or buried under a mountain of paperwork. I know Mac was._

"_Jack, have you got any twos?" Daniel asked._

"_Go Fish." Dad replied rather smugly and winked at Janet._

_I laughed as Janet turned to Daniel and sweetly asked for his twos. Janet was winning this round, but I had to admit, Dad wasn't far behind. I suspect the two of them were cheating, but I couldn't prove it._

"_You're playing Go Fish?" An annoyed voice snapped from the infirmary's door._

"_Hey Mom." I greeted cheerfully. "Wanna play?"_

"_No thanks, Shan." Mom replied absently, before levelling a hard stare at Dad and Janet._

"_What can I do for you Sam?" Janet asked._

"_What can you do for me? Tell me what's going on for a start!" Mom snapped. "I get a memo saying that Jack is in the infirmary, to be kept for observation all night - which no one decided to tell me in person. I get no details as to why, and when I do I find you all playing Go Fish!"_

_Janet winced slightly. "Sorry about that." She said. "We got kind of sidetracked."_

_Mom nodded, but she still looked really annoyed. I wondered what was going on. "And what do you have to say for yourself?" she snapped at Dad._

_Dad blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked._

"_You know exactly what I mean." Mom said. "Your note."_

_Dad winced. "You found it? You weren't supposed to find it yet." He said softly, then added in a louder voice. "I was coming to see you."_

"_You know what." I said, standing up before Mom and Dad could start arguing too hard. I knew the look on my mother's face and knew this was something they had to work out for themselves. "I just remembered I have something to do in my lab. I'll see you later, Dad."_

_Daniel nodded vigorously. "Me, too." He said._

"_And I have work to do as well." Janet added._

_As we all got up to leave I watched Mom raise an eyebrow as Teal'c followed. "I will leave you two alone." He said simply, and followed us away from the bed._

_Janet gently shut the privacy curtain around the bed before we all rusher to her office were we could listen away from prying eyes. Hey I know! But when I said they had to work this out for themselves, I never said I wasn't going to listen!_

_For a few minutes, Mom and Dad muttered to each other in soft voices, obviously suspecting that someone might be listening (damn, but they knew us too well!) before getting louder as the argument became more heated._

"_I hope this isn't a bad sign." Daniel fretted quietly._

"_Don't be silly." I said. "They just need to get a few things out in the open, that's all. Now be quiet. I want to find out what that note was all about!"_

"…_not exactly romantic!" Mom snapped, her voice getting louder._

"_Well, you weren't exactly supposed to find it yet!" Dad snapped back. "Give me a little credit!"_

"_And when exactly was I supposed to find it!" Mom asked._

"_Later!"_

"_Later, when? I've been trying to talk to you about this for the past two months, but you keep changing the subject whenever I try and bring it up!" Mom said. "Why?"_

"_It's complicated." Dad replied._

"_Complicated? When it anything not complicated in our lives? Are we going to talk about this or not?" Mom demanded._

"_Talk about what, dammit!" Janet muttered and I had to agree with her. Just what was going on?_

"_No, we're not going to talk about it." Jack said, softer, but still audible. "I've already made my decision."_

"_And that's it?" Mom asked, and I could hear the sudden tears in her voice._

_What the hell was in that note? And what exactly did Dad think he was doing?_

"_Yes." Dad said._

"_Well, fine." Mom snapped angry again. "Have it your way. Just don't expect me to speak to you!"_

"_Speak to me?" Dad snapped back. "I thought you wanted me to make a decision!"_

"_I wanted to discuss it with you, not have you decide without talking to me! I'm involved in this too! Or at least I thought I was!"_

"_Will you just sit down a minute!" Dad snapped angrily._

"_No!" Mom retorted and we all heard the curtain get yanked back and Mom storm out._

_Thankfully she was too angry to see us, as no one made a move to get out of the doorway. We were all too shocked at what was going on. Mom never yelled at Dad like that! I really had to find out what had annoyed her so much in that note and what the hell Dad had decided!_

"_Damn it!" Dad swore, jerkily getting out of bed, before hobbling towards the corridor after Mom. "Sam, wait!"_

_As soon as he was through the door, everyone in Janet's office poured out and ran towards the corridor. I put my hand on Janet's arm, just before she called out to Jack. "He's supposed to stay in the infirmary." She whispered._

"_I know, but they have to sort this out." I replied, just as softly. "Besides, he won't be going very far."_

_Since we didn't care if we were seen anymore, and blatantly squished through the door and stood watching in the middle of the corridor. I noticed we weren't the only ones, as this was one of the busier corridors in the SGC and Mom and Dad were attracting quite an audience._

"_What, Jack?" Mom said, turning back to face him._

"_Will you just come back and sit down?"_

"_No. Whatever you have to say, you'd better say it now, because I'm done listening to you!" Mom snapped. "So spit it out or get lost!"_

_Man, I hadn't seen Mom this angry since I'd stolen the neighbours dog and trailed mud through the house (Mom hadn't let me get a dog, or keep that one after everything)._

"_Spit it out?" Dad snapped. "Fine. Just remember this was what you wanted."_

_Taking a deep breath, my father continued, this time in a more reasonable voice (although still annoyed and loud). "Samantha Carter, will you marry me?"_

_Mom stared at him in shock – as I glanced around, I realised everyone was staring at him in shock. Why? It's not like we hadn't seen this coming. Okay, so the delivery could have been a little better, but Mom had kind of forced him to just say it._

"_I thought you said you'd decided?" Mom asked when she regained the ability to speak._

_Dad frowned slightly. "I did decide. I decided to hell with it, I was going to marry you anyway." He said. "You never did ask me what my decision was, you know."_

_Mom continued to stare at him in silence, and I noticed that everyone watching was holding their breath, hoping they weren't noticed. But Mom and Dad either didn't notice anyone, or didn't care._

"_Mom!" I hissed. "Say yes!"_

"_What?" Mom blinked._

"_You haven't exactly answered my question." Dad explained for me._

_I could see the tension in every line in his body and silently begged Mom to hurry up. Couldn't she see that this apparent indecision was killing him?_

"_Sorry." Mom said softly. "I'm still waiting to see when I'm going to wake up."_

_Dad relaxed a little and walked forward, until he was standing in front of Mom. "You're not dreaming." He said. "So will you marry me, Sammie?"_

"_Of course I will!" Mom said. "But if I wake up I am going to hit you, Jack!"_

_Dad let out a whoop of glee and swooped down to give Mom one of the most thorough kisses I have ever seen (or want to see my parents do again…it is a little gross, but sweet). Everyone cheered loudly._

_When they finally stopped, Dad turned towards me and grinned. "You happy?" he asked._

"_Do you need to ask?" I retorted, grinning like a madwoman. "It's about time!"_

_Dad laughed. "That's what I thought."

* * *

_

The wedding was going to be held in about an hour, on the beach just below Atlantis. I thought it was rather appropriate, and everyone else had thought it was best considering the number of aliens that had been invited. And as Dad said, everyone who really mattered knew about the Stargate Programme anyway, so having it off-world wouldn't matter.

Except then Mom objected that her brother (Uncle Mark) couldn't come, so Dad promised they'd have another small ceremony at the registers' office later. This meant everyone had to invent a reason as to why Dad wasn't actually dead, so no one started asking any tricky questions. Which led to the General declaring that no one else was to get married, because it was too much effort.

I was just going to enjoy the day for what it was. The day my parents finally got married.

"Shannon, are you coming?" Janet called from behind me.

I turned and grinned at her. My bridesmaids' dress fluttered around my legs. "Of course." I said. "I wouldn't miss this for anything!"

"Then let's go!" she grinned.


	21. The Wedding

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

I stepped out into the lush garden in the central courtyard of the city and smiled. I had tended the plants lovingly over the last few months, and it was finally starting to look like a garden again. Right now, it was hung with white ribbons, creamy lilies and rich purple violets, and you could see glimpses of the sea through the green. It was the perfect place for a wedding.

And my parents were the perfect couple to be wed in it.

I quickly followed Janet across the courtyard and through the door beyond. Inside I found my grandfather sitting in a chair watching his daughter (and my mother) with an amused smile on his face.

"Sammie, you look beautiful." Jacob said, his eyes dancing.

"My skirt is all twisted and I can't find my lipstick!" Mom replied, a hint of panic in her voice.

"I don't think Jack will care if you're wearing lipstick or not." Jacob pointed out. "I know I didn't care if your mother was wearing lipstick when we got married. I spent the whole day hoping it wasn't a dream."

I caught the sad and wistful look on his face as he added the last bit, and knew that he was sad my grandmother was missing today. I never met her, as she died before I was born, but I've heard many stories and knew she would be just as happy for her daughter as my grandfather was.

Janet walked over to where Mom was standing, looking frantically for her lost lipstick. With the same efficiency she used to run the infirmary, she sat my mother down in front of the mirror, sorted through a pile of cosmetics and pulled out the lost tube of lipstick and various other bits and pieces. "We'll start with by fixing your face." She said. "Then we'll sort out your skirt and go from there, okay?"

"Okay." Mom replied a little weakly.

I smiled at Jacob as I came to sit beside him. "Shouldn't you be helping your mother fuss?" he asked me softly.

"Nah." I said. "I wouldn't want to interrupt Janet. Besides, she's a bit territorial about this sort of thing."

Jacob laughed. "She is, isn't she?"

"I heard that." Janet said.

I just flashed her a grin. "You always do." I told her.

I sat back and gazed carefully at my mother. She looked beautiful in her simple white gown. The strapless dress hugged her slender waist, before falling straight from her hips to floor in a graceful line. The skirt swirled around her legs as she stood up, her face meticulously fixed by Janet's practiced hand. Mom had twisted her hair back away from her face and a million tiny little gems glittered from amongst the blonde strands. Diamonds glittered at her ears and throat. She looked amazing.

"My skirt is still twisted." She frowned, gazing downwards.

Janet carefully straightened it, before shooting me and Jacob an amused look. "Mom, you look amazing." I said, getting up to give her a hug. "Dad is going to freak."

Mom blushed slightly at my words as she hugged me back. "Thanks, Shan." She replied. "You look beautiful too."

"Thanks, Mom." I smiled and gave her hand a light squeeze.

Both Janet and I wore dresses of pale violet, meant to compliment the flowers or something. I hadn't been paying much attention when Mom and Janet had been discussing that part. I only knew the dresses were beautiful. Janet's was similar to Mom's, but the top was a halter instead and the skirt was a little shorter. With her auburn hair done up in a twist behind her, and a violet tucked into it, she looked gorgeous.

"If you guys are going to get mushy, I might have to go and find Jack." Jacob threatened mildly at all the hugging.

"You just want a hug too." Mom retorted, before going over and giving him one. "So, Dad." She said as she twirled around before him. "What do you think?"

"I think you're the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Jacob replied, his eyes glittering with what looked suspiciously like tears.

"Oh, Dad." Mom sniffed, as she too tried to hide back tears. "Now who's getting mushy?"

Janet chuckled. "Right, Shannon. Your turn." She said.

"My turn?" I echoed.

"Yes." Janet replied, giving me the once over. "I'm going to do something with that hair of yours."

"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked. "It's not like anyone will be looking at me anyway."

"Just humour me." Janet said, and pushed me down into the chair.

I sighed, but let her turn me towards the mirror. If she wanted to play with my hair, then she could play with my hair. She wouldn't let me leave this room until I agreed, anyway. "And don't forget to put on your shoes." She reminded me as she wielded the hair brush.

I rolled my eyes at her in the mirror. "Yes, Aunt Janet." I said.

About ten minutes later, Janet stepped back with a satisfied sigh. "There." She said. "That's better."

I had to admit that she was right. I don't know what she'd done, but my hair was now pulled back away from my face and falling in a wavy cascade over my shoulders and slightly down my back. As a finishing touch she tucked a violet in amongst it, just like she had in her hair. "Thanks." I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as I jumped up. "It's great."

It was at that moment, that there was a tentative knock at the door. "Is everyone decent?" Came Daniel's muffled voice.

"Come on in." Jacob called out. "I could use another man in here after all this fluffing."

"Dad." Mom said, glaring slightly.

The door opened and Daniel walked in, looking very handsome in his tailored black suit, white shirt and grey tie. There was even a small violet tucked into his lapel – no doubt that was Janet's work. "Wow." He said and blinked a few times.

"That bad, huh?" I teased, as Daniel opened and shut his mouth a few times.

"Sam, you look amazing." He said. Then he shot Janet a slightly teasing grin, before walking over to her and giving her a large kiss. "I think you look beautiful too." He said, obviously noticing the slightly annoyed look on Janet's face when he complimented Sam.

"I take it it's time to get this show on the road?" Jacob asked, getting up.

"Everyone else is ready." Daniel confirmed.

"Okay then. Tell them we're ready to start." Jacob said.

Janet reached over and squeezed Mom's hand. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Mom took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah." She said. "I am."

I quickly ducked over to the back of the room and hunted up my shoes and bouquet as Janet helped Mom into her thin veil and Daniel went to tell everyone they were ready to start. I slipped them on my feet, before I turned at the sound of the door opening. _Oh, goody!_ I thought when I saw who it was. _The groomsmen are here._

I grinned at the sight of Teal'c standing there in a suit almost exactly the same as Daniel's. He was a big man and there was a whole lot of suit. "Hey, T." I called out delightedly as I walked up to him. "Nice suit."

He raised an eyebrow in his usual way. "Indeed." He said.

I laughed. "Now you're just being nice." I said. "What did Dad have to promise to get you into that thing?"

"You do not wish to know." Teal'c replied.

I let out a bark of surprised laughter and grinned in amused delight. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"Indeed." Teal'c said again as he offered me his arm. "I believe it is our turn to join the wedding party."

I took his arm, feeling really small beside him, despite my heels. "Let the party begin." I said as we walked towards the door.

* * *

The stately music drifted over the lush garden and the scent of lilies was in the air. Sunlight dappled the elegant arbour in the centre of the courtyard, decorated by sprigs of lilies and violets. The guests sat on wooden benches in rapt wonder at the event that was moments from taking place.

I stepped out onto the aisle scattered with flower petals on Teal'c's arm. I kept me steps even and sure as I walked to the beat of the music. My face was serene and I couldn't help but smile at all the familiar faces I saw in the crowd. Friends and family were all gathered here to bear witness this day of joy and love. Thor was even there with some of the other Asgard, watching the events with a unique curiosity.

My gaze flicked to where my father stood, looking handsome in his tailored suit. His face was calm, and when he caught me looking he gave me a reassuring smile. I smiled back with a burst of love for the remarkable man who I was lucky enough to have as a father. I felt tears began to threaten as I finally realised just how much my parents meant to me and the joy that I was able to share this day with them.

Taking a deep breath so I wouldn't start blubbering, I took my place at the end of the aisle on the opposite side of the priest to Dad. Teal'c took his place beside Dad and turned to watch Daniel and Janet take their turn up the aisle.

I heard the music move to a crescendo and knew it was time for the bride to make her grand entrance. As everyone turned to await Mom, I kept my gaze on Dad and was gifted by watching his expression as he saw Mom. His whole face seemed to light up when he saw his beautiful bride and love flowed from him. I couldn't help it, but as I turned to watch Mom take her final steps, tears began to trickle down my face.

Gently, Jacob lifted up Mom's veil and kiss her cheek. Then he passed her hand to Dad and smiled at them both. "Take good care of each other." He said softly, before going to sit down.

Smiling, the priest began his service, his melodic voice lulling me just as much as the joy and beauty of the day. The ceremony passed quickly, until it was time for the vows. "The couple that stands before me are as unique and courageous as they come." The priest said, smiling gently. "And it is their wish to say there own vows to each other in the presence of those they hold dear."

At the priest's nod, Dad began. "Sam, from the first time we met, you cast a spell over me. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, I couldn't resist you. Rules just didn't seem to matter anymore." Dad said, his voice soft as he gazed lovingly at my mother. "Despite all the years that have gone by, you still remain the strong, spirited, courageous and intelligent woman I fell in love with all those years ago. I love you so much, Sam. Please let me spend the rest of my life showing you just how much."

Tears filled Mom's eyes as she listened to Dad's quiet speech. Sniffing slightly, she spoke her own words of promise back to him. "Jack, for as long as I've known you, you've inspired me to reach for the stars. You were always there to guard my back and offer a shoulder to cry on." Mom said softly. "You caught my heart with a glance and it has been yours ever since. Years will never change the way I feel. You own my heart and soul and always have. I love you so much."

"Do you, Jonathan Patrick O'Neill, take this woman to be your wife, to love her and to hold her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, wherever your life may take you, til death do you part?" The priest asked Dad.

"I do." He replied reverently, without taking his eyes from my mother's and slipping the ring onto Mom's finger.

"Do you, Samantha Joy Carter, take this man to be your husband, to love him and to hold him, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, wherever your life may take you, til death do you part?" The priest then asked Mom.

"I do." Mom replied, her voice soft and sure, as she slipped a ring onto Dad's finger.

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." The priest said, sending a shiver of delight up my spine. "You may kiss the bride."

And, man did he kiss her!

The whole garden erupted into cheers at his words and I gave a watery laugh at the joy of it all. Beside me Janet sniffed and I could swear that Daniel was close to tears too. It was just all so beautiful!

"Ah, Jack." Daniel hissed after a moment. "You can stop now!"

There was a ripple of laughter through the assembled guests at the newlywed couple broke apart and turned to face the crowd. "May I now introduce Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill?" the priest said in a rather amused voice.

A tear slipped down my face at the words. Joy burst through my heart. I grinned as the well-wishers began to mob the newlyweds. Life was just so damn good today.


	22. Final Thoughts

**Chapter 22:**

I stood on the same balcony I had before and stared down at the courtyard below me. From up here I could see everyone congratulating my parents as the tried to slip away for a quiet moment. I saw Daniel and Janet hiding in the corner eating cake. I saw Teal'c talking to Jacob, although about what I'm not sure. But they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even retired-General Hammond was here – and having a lot of fun catching up with Thor it seemed.

The sun was warm as I stood watching my large, extended and noisy family. To see them all gathered in the one place was really great. Even if it always seemed to lead to trouble. Although, it did stop life from getting boring.

"Carter?" a voice called out from behind me. "Can I have a word?"

"Sure, Mac." I said, turning to see Major Conner Mackenzie hesitating in the doorway.

"Thanks." He said, coming to stand next to me at the balcony's railing. "Wasn't sure if I was intruding or not."

"I was just thinking." I replied. "And I find it's much better for the purposes of blackmail to be able to watch everything from up high like this."

Mac glanced at the scene below even as he laughed. "Sounds like you, Carter."

"Actually, it's O'Neill now." I said. "I took my Dad's name too."

Mac raised an eyebrow. "That might take a bit of getting used to." He said. "'Carter' just seems to spring to my lips every time something goes wrong…"

I slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Gee, thanks, sir. You sure know how to flatter a girl." I said dryly.

Mac laughed. "I know. I've even had lessons."

"Why does that not surprise me?" I asked no one in particular.

The two of us stared down at the party below for a silent minute, both seemingly lost in our own thoughts. Until Mac broke the silence. "Shannon, there was something I wanted to say to you." He said.

Shannon? Must be serious. My stomach fluttered as I realised what it probably was.

"Mac…" I said.

"No, please Shannon." Mac continued. "It's taken me all week and several glasses of champagne to get up the courage for this. Please…I have to say it."

I nodded, suddenly desperately nervous. "Okay." I replied softly.

"Well, um…ah…" Mac stuttered. "Hell, I don't know how to say this!"

"Say what, Mac?"

"I…" Mac began again. "Are you still seeing that Alec guy?"

Surprised at his sudden question, I blinked. "No." I said. "I though you already knew…"

"Have dinner with me?" Mac blurted out, interrupting. "You know, after everything is over."

I smiled as Major Conner Mackenzie blushed and looked away. "Sure, Mac." I said. "I'd love to."

"You would?" Mac looked a little surprised.

My smile turned into a grin. "Yes."

Mac let out a relieved sigh. "I was so sure you were going to say no." Then Mac shot me a sidelong look. "I just…I…oh, crap!" he muttered.

I shifted closer to him and knocked him gently with my shoulder. "Take it easy." I said. "I'm not looking for any flowery declarations just yet."

Mac gave me a wry smile, before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Fine." He whispered in my ear before leaning back again.

I couldn't help but smile as I stared down at my family once more. Life was good!

I noticed my parents were challenging each other to arm wrestle for the biggest piece of cake, with Janet and Daniel cheering them on. Teal'c, Jacob and Hammond were all teaching Thor how to play poker. It brought a large grin to my face. My family was definitely unique – and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I thought about how it had been only a year ago – I was about to graduate college and had no idea just how wide and wondrous the universe was. Or that I had such a large and loving family to meet. But I think most wondrous of all was that I now had the father I had been dreaming of since I was a little girl. And no matter what happens now or in the future, that makes everything worth it.

There are more Descended Ones out there, I know that. Our fight is far from over. There are more System Lords and Replicators and no doubt another legion of enemies that will threaten the survival of Earth and humans all over the galaxy. But we'll fight and we'll win. We can't do anything else.

Because if there's one lesson I've learnt more than any other, it's that when my family gets involved, nothing can stop them doing what they set out to do!

And no matter what the future brings, we'll do it together.

The End.


End file.
